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Connecticut State Librar
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ENCYCLOPEDIA
— OF —
CONNECTICUT BIOGRAPHY
GENEALOGICAL— MEMORIAL
REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
Compiled with the Assistance of a
Capable Corps of Advisers and Contributors
ILLUSTRATED
■
THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Inc.)
NEW YORK PUBLISHERS CHICAGO
foreword
EACH one of us is "the heir of all
the ages, in the foremost files of
time." We build upon the solid
foundations laid by the strenuous efforts
of the fathers who have gone before us.
Nothing is more fitting, and indeed more
important, than that we should familiar-
ize ourselves with their work and per-
sonality; for it is they who have lifted
us up to the lofty positions from which
we are working out our separate careers.
"Lest we forget," it is important that we
gather up the fleeting memories of the
past and give them permanent record in
well-chosen words of biography, and in
such reproduction of the long lost faces
as modern science makes possible.
Samuel Hart.
BIOGRAPHICAL
\
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
LOUNSBURY FAMILY,
Ancestral History.
In the public records of the State of
Connecticut there are many names which
stand for all that is high, all that is
worthy, all that makes for public prog-
ress. But rarely in any State have two
members of one family risen to the high-
est office in the gift of the Commonwealth,
and so commanded the respect of their
contemporaries and so endeared them-
selves to the general public that they have
made their name universally honored and
cherished. Connecticut holds the name
of Lounsbury second to none in all her
history, for the brothers Lounsbury, first
Phineas C. and later George E., have oc-
cupied the Governor's chair with honor
to their name and with wide-reaching
benefit to the State. In the contemplation
of the lives of men of this calibre it is
interesting to trace through former gen-
erations the spirit which has come down
to them through the centuries, which
evolved for the citizens of to-day positive
and permanent good.
The significance of the surname, Louns-
bury, is literally the "Manor or Fort-
ress De La Lond, or De La Land," and
carries with it the fundamental meaning
of sovereignty, inasmuch as at that early
period of Anglo-Norman history, partic-
ularly the eleventh, twelfth and thir-
teenth centuries, land owners were land-
lords in the best sense of that compound
word. It first appears as the name of a
locality in Yorkshire, England, and in one
of its many forms is still the name of a
town there called Londesborough. It is
found in Domesday Book, where it is
written Lodensburg. The name has been
spelled in many ways, and among the va-
rious forms are : Lodensburg, Leone-
bergh, Lonesburgh, Lounesburgh, Low-
nesburg, Lowndesbrough and Londes-
borough. The Church of "Lonesburgh
or Lonesbeurg," Yorkshire, England, was
granted to William De Lonesburgh by
Stephen, King of England, from 1135 to
1 154. William De Lonesburgh was also
treasurer of the Church of York.
(I) Richard Lounsbury, the Colonial
ancestor of the Lounsbury family in
America, was a descendant of the De
Lounsbury family of Yorkshire. During
the religious wars of the seventeenth cen-
tury, the period of Puritan and Huguenot
persecutions, Richard Lounsbury, with
others, crossed to Leyden, Holland, to
seek more congenial conditions. There
he met and married Elizabeth Du Bois,
of a distinguished and wealthy French
Huguenot family. Later Richard Louns-
bury, his wife, and a little company
who sought the perfect religious freedom
awaiting them on this side the Atlantic,
took passage on the "Bonte Koeu," or
"Spotted Cow," and came to the Amer-
ican colonies. They settled in Esopus,
Ulster county, New York, about 1663.
His name appears on a roll of the Foot
Company of Militia, Marbletown, Ulster
county, New York, under the command
of Captain Daniel Broadhead. Richard
and Elizabeth (Du Bois) Lounsbury were
among the first settlers of Rye, New
York, in Westchester county. The com-
pany who settled here purchased from
the Indians lands which extended from
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Long Island sound on the South, to the
further boundary lines of White Plains
to the Northwest, and to the nearer boun-
daries of Norwalk to the Northeast.
White Plains was then included as a part
of the New England Colony. The early
records preserve but a meagre story of
the struggles and achievements of those
first pioneers, and even the vital statis-
tics are in many cases only fragmentary,
but in the first will ever recorded in this
settlement Richard Lounsbury bequeathed
to his son Henry that portion of the land
in Stamford which had been allotted to
him. The land purchased from the In-
dians is still known as the Lounsbury
Farm. Richard Lounsbury's will is pre-
served in the White Plains Land Rec-
ords.
(II) Henry Lounsbury, son of Rich-
ard and Elizabeth (Du Bois) Lounsbury,
was born August 15, 1684, in Stamford,
Connecticut, and died there in 1763. He
married Mercy Scofield, born October 30,
1690, daughter of John and Hannah
(Mead) Scofield.
(III) Nathan Lounsbury, son of Henry
and Mercy (Scofield) Lounsbury. was
born in 1722, and died in 1793. He mar-
ried, March 22, 1759, Mrs. Elizabeth (See-
ley) Tallmadge, born September 25,
1734, daughter of Nathaniel and Eliza-
beth (Holly) Seeley, and widow of Jon-
athan Tallmadge.
(IV) Enos Lounsbury, son of Nathan
and Elizabeth (Seeley-Tallmadge) Louns-
bury, was born May 31, 1763, and died in
1816. He served in the Revolutionary
War during the latter part of that strug-
gle, being less than eighteen years of age
when he received an honorable discharge,
January I, 1781. He married (second),
August 3, 1796, Catee Waterbury, born
March 12, 1766, daughter of Isaac W.
and Thankful (Scofield) Waterbury.
Through the Waterbury family also
the present members of the Lounsbury
family trace their ancestry back to the
early New England pioneers. John Wat-
erbury was born in Suffolk County, Eng-
land, about 1620. He came to America
about 1641, and settled first at Water-
town, Massachusetts. Later he sold his
land holdings there, and in 1646 removed
to Stamford, Connecticut. He was
granted a parcel of land there in 1650, and
died in Stamford, July 31, 1658. He mar-
ried Rose Lockwood. Lieutenant L>avid
Waterbury, their son, born about 1650,
in Stamford, Connecticut, served in King
Philip's War. He died November 20,
1706. He married (first) Hannah New-
man, born October 29, 1657, daughter of
William Newman. John Waterbury,
their son, was born January 25, 1682, died
January 20, 1736. He married, December
4, 1710, Sussanah Newkirk. Isaac W.
Waterbury, their son, was born about
1728. He married, February 4, 1750 or
1751. in Bedford, New York, Thankful
Scofield. Their daughter, Catee, born
March 12, 1766, became the wife of Enos
Lounsbury, as above noted.
(V) Nathan Lounsbury, son of Enos
and Catee (Waterbury) Lounsbury, was
born April 13, 1807, m Stamford, Con-
necticut, and died April 2j, 1894, in Ridge-
field, Connecticut. He was a prosperous
and public-spirited citizen of Fairfield
county, highly respected by all who
knew him. He married, July 9, 1828, in
Poundridge, New York, Delia A. Scofield,
daughter of Henry and Azubah (Ray-
mond) Scofield. She was born January
28, 1809, in Patterson, New York, and
died February 21, 1895, in Ridgefield.
Connecticut. Their children were: 1.
Matilda, born April 16, 1829, died 1867;
married Francis Ouintard, of Norwalk,
Connecticut. 2. William, born June 12.
1831, died October 19, 1874; married,
March 1, 1871, Caroline Augusta Youngs,
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
born October 7, 1850. 3. Sarah E., mar-
ried Nelson B. Sherwood; she died Octo-
ber 1, 1896. 4. Ann E., married Joel L.
Rockwell. 5. George E. (q. v.)- 6. Phin-
eas Chapman (q. v.).
LOUNSBURY, George Edward,
Fortieth Governor of Connecticut.
There are men upon whom the world
looks as individuals. There are men
whose breadth of character reaches out
only to the little circle about them. Then
there are men to whom all the world is
brother, who in heart and deed, as well
as in the spoken word, extend the hand of
fellowship to every man be he king or
laborer. This was the man which those
who knew him best saw in George Ed-
ward Lounsbury, fortieth Governor of the
State of Connecticut. This was not an
attitude with him. It was the sincere ex-
pression of a great soul, attuned to catch
the harmony of life through whatever
turmoil might arise. He saw good in
everything, read faith and high aspira-
tion in every human character. De-
scended from a long line of ancestors who
had held positions of honor in public life,
and who had been successful in a material
way, he was still a man of simple, whole-
some tastes, while at the same time he
filled with dignity and grace every pub-
lic duty which devolved upon him.
(VI) George Edward Lounsbury was
born May 7, 1838, the fifth child of Na-
than and Delia A. (Scofield) Lounsbury
(q.v.). He received his early education
in the public schools of his native town,
Ridgefield, Connecticut. Here he became
thoroughly grounded in the elementary
studies which are so important a founda-
tion for future scholarship. He taught
school for three years, and in this prac-
tical application of knowledge attained
won an added mental power which placed
him at a distinct advantage in his later
studies. He entered Yale University,
from which he was graduated in 1863.
He then took a course in preparation for
the ministry, a field of usefulness which
had come to him with a strong appeal.
He was graduated from Berkeley Divin-
ity School, Middletown, in 1866. The
young man's genius for oratory gave
promise of a wonderful career which
should be a power, for the upbuilding of
the church. He was in charge of the
Episcopal church in Suffield for some
time, then later was placed in charge of
the parish in Thompsonville. He was
very popular with the people in both par-
ishes, his earnest piety and thorough
manliness giving force and meaning to
the eloquent words which they heard from
his lips in the pulpit. For with him re-
ligion was a matter of daily living, a prin-
ciple to be applied to all problems, not
mere theory to be expounded at stated
intervals and laid aside with the vest-
ments worn on those occasions.
A radical change in the young man's
plans for the future was made imperative
by the development of a serious throat
trouble. It became impossible for him to
continue regular public speaking, and he
finally gave up the ministry. In 1868 he
became associated with his brother in
Norwalk, Connecticut, in the manufacture
of shoes. The utilitarian side of his nature
here found expression, and one of his
most positive characteristics was his
wholesome conviction that the practical
things of life have a dignity of their own
which is second to nothing. Here also he
found scope for unlimited good in the
true spirit of brotherhood with which he
met the workmen in the factory. He was
a man mong them, while his position as
one of the executive force was by no
means disregarded in their attitude to-
ward him. Fearless on public questions,
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
intensely interested in the public welfare,
and gifted with the ability to sway men in
argument, it was but natural that he
should find a warm reception in the poli-
tical world. His choice was the Repub-
lican party, and this organization appre-
ciated to the full the force he would be in
the forwarding of the party interests. It
was soon clearly evident that party in-
terests, as such, were subservient in the
mind of this new leader to the public
good. The party found that a wise and just
move would have his unqualified support,
but anything which savored of mere par-
tisanship would bring out a counter pro-
posal which his contagious enthusiasm
would at once make popular. Fairfield
county knew him, and with unbounded
confidence in his future the Twelfth Dis-
trict made him more and more their
leader as time passed. In 1895 they nom-
inated him for Senator, and he was elec-
ted by a gratifying majority. His legis-
lative career was marked from the outset
by the same fearless utterances which had
given him a leading position in the home
county. He was made chairman of the
Committee on Finance, and his business
experience, together with his sound com-
mon sense, brought about a distinct im-
provement in the work of that committee.
He was again elected Senator from the
same district, in 1897, and during this
term served as chairman of the Commit-
tee on Humane Institutions. In this con-
nection it may be said that he did much
practical good in the prepartion of bills
which related to the management of va-
rious institutions of this nature through-
out the State. In all his senatorial rec-
ord he exemplified those ideals which he
had always held and had made the very
fabric of his public utterances.
So it was with the greatest confidence
that the Republican party placed the
name of George Edward Lounsbury
in the field in the Gubernatorial election
of 1898. He was nominated without seri-
ous opposition, and as in the case of his
senatorial elections he won by a most sat-
isfactory majority. Throughout his ad-
ministration he held the respect and con-
fidence of the people as well as the loyal
co-operation of his party. It may safely
be said of him that he was master to an
unusual degree of the art of knowing
when to speak and when to keep silent.
His addresses to the different branches
of the Legislature were masterly ex-
amples of oratory, but except in rare cases
were terse and strictly to the point. The
practical trend of his administration is
evidenced by the fact that he reduced the
debt of the State one million dollars.
The Governor's retirement from public
life was not coincident with his relin-
quishment of his business interests. He
continued actively interested in business
for a considerable time thereafter. He
was president of the First National Bank
of Ridgefield, and during all the period of
his residence there was much sought by
business men in an advisory capacity.
When he finally gave up all active busi-
ness, he still spent a large part of his
time in managing and improving the fine
farm which has been his home for many
years. He always made use of the most
up-to-date methods in farming, and as a
result the products of the place were of
the finest. He gave freely of his bounty,
not only to his immediate and personal
friends, but saw to it that even- needy
family of his acquaintance, or which
might be brought to his attention, should
be provided with a generous share of such
comforts and delicacies as the farm af-
forded. Many individuals over a wide
section in that part of the State have
reason to recall with feelings of warmest
affection and admiration the picturesque
gentleman of the old school, whose eye
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
kindled with genuine friendliness for ev-
ery one who greeted him.
A man's possessions are but a poor
addition to the review of his personality
and achievements. But it would be im-
possible to complete even a sketch of
Ex-Governor Lounsbury's career without
some mention of his wonderful library.
Possessed of literary ability of a fine or-
der, he was a lifelong collector of books.
He lived with his books and lived in them,
and they also lived in him and in a meas-
ure worked out in his public activities the
best thought that has been immortalized
on the printed page. His books were his
closest friends, and to him a worthy ideal
expounded in crisp new binding was as
rich a treasure as the rarest old first edi-
tion of an early master of literature. A
simple tribute published soon after his
death, August 16, 1904, expressed the uni-
versal sentiment among his friends. It
was as follows :
The Connecticut men who knew him will keep
pleasant and kindly memories of George E.
Lounsbury. He was a pleasant, kindly man. The
enjoyment which he took in sharing the treasure
of his orchard with his friends was a character-
istic trait. An attractive gentleman, he was al-
ways a good friend. It is with regret that we say
farewell to him.
LOUNSBURY, Phineas Chapman,
Banker, Statesman, Ex-Governor of Con-
necticut.
Any man who for the greater part of a
long lifetime has stood before the public
has received from many sources the
meaningless adulation which is the meed
of fame. But long before he reached the
zenith of his powers he learned to prize,
in the kindling eye and the deepened
voice, the unstudied response of the peo-
ple to his giving of himself. The Hon.
Phineas Chapman Lounsbury, of Ridge-
field, Connecticut, retired banker and Ex-
Governor, has won his share of these un-
spoken laurels, for he is to-day as he al-
ways has been close to the people — "a
friend to man."
(VI) Phineas Chapman Lounsbury
was born in the town of Ridgefield, Janu-
ary 10, 1841, the sixth child of Nathan and
Delia A. (Scofield) Lounsbury (q. v.).
Descended from a long line of high-
minded, public-spirited ancestors, and
personally gifted with those qualities of
mind and heart which command spon-
taneous respect, he is a man peculiarly
fitted to handle large interests. His child-
hood and youth were spent on the farm,
where was laid the foundation for the
splendid health which he has enjoyed
during his later years. He received a
thorough academic education, and entered
a business career with the organization
of the firm of Lounsbury Brothers. They
manufactured shoes, the factory being
first located in New Haven, Connecticut,
then in South Norwalk, same State, when
the firm name was changed to Lounsbury,
Mathewson & Company. Here the bus-
iness was more broadly developed, the fa-
cilities and equipment being much more
advantageous. The firm became widely
known for the excellence of its product
and for the honorable dealings which
were the basis of its business policy. As
the head of the firm Mr. Lounsbury soon
became a man of more than local note
and was sought by business men in many
sections for advice on monetary affairs.
He became a member of the Merchants'
Exchange National Bank, of New York
City, and won so high a place in the es-
teem of that important institution that in
1885 he was elected its president by
unanimous vote. This bank was organized
in 1829 with a capital of one million dol-
lars, then an enormous sum of money,
and his position at the head of the insti-
tution gave Mr. Lounsbury a leading
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
place among the great financiers of the
country. It was not long after his first
connection with the Merchant's Exchange
National that he was also made a director
of the Atlantic National Bank, of New
York. He has been a director of the
American Banknote Company, of New
York, for forty-five years, and is the last
surviving corporator of the Washington
Trust Company of that city. For many
years he was actively interested in other
enterprises and was a valued adviser, to
which he added a sane appraisal of a
critical situation, and he possessed a fear-
less courage in going forward along any
line which he approved. Although this
multiplicity of interests in New York de-
manded much of his time, he was during
all of his business career closely identi-
fied with his manufacturing interests in
this State, upon which he still keeps an
over-sight. One of his most cherished
mementoes of his active business life was
presented to him upon his completion, in
1919, of forty years service as a member
of the board of directors of the Atlantic
National Bank. It was the finest ex-
ample of the watchmaker's art which
could be obtained, and was presented by
his associates as a token of their esteem,
accompanied by the following resolutions :
At the completion of forty years of service in
the management of the bank by our Chairman,
Phineas C. Lounsbury, having in mind the many
benefits which have accrued to this institution
through his long and faithful services, and the
success that has attended his watchful care of the
interests of the stockholders, during the vicissi-
tudes of more than a generation,
Be it Resolved, That Kimball C. Atwood, Da-
vid L. Luke and Lorenzo Benedict be, and here-
by are appointed a committee authorized to pre-
sent to Governor Lounsbury, on behalf of the
bank, a token suitably inscribed to show its ap-
preciation of his valuable services, with the con-
gratulations of the board on his achievements,
and the hope that he may long continue to par-
ticipate in the active management of the bank.
But to the people of Connecticut Ex-
Governor Lounsbury's political career
holds a deeper significance than his long
and honorable career in the business
world. He exercised the franchise at the
first election after he reached his major-
ity, casting his first vote in 1862. Then,
as now, he supported the Republican
party. He was one of the first to enlist
at the breaking out of hostilities between
the North and South, and served as a
private in the Seventeenth Connecticut
Volunteers. He was honorably dis-
charged after several months on account
of serious illness. Later he was recom-
mended for a pension. While he deeply
appreciated this recognition of his serv-
ices, he declined the emolument since he
had no need of it.
During the period following the war,
he labored with unflagging zeal in the re-
construction of the old order, which was
as real and vital a problem in the North
as it was in the South. His party was
not slow to recognize in the young man
the possibilities of leadership. In 1874
the Republicans of the town of Ridge-
field elected him to represent the town in
the State House of Representatives. The
temperance question was one of the live
issues of the campaign, and it was largely
his attitude in regard to it that won him
success. In this broader field the tal-
ents which had been recognized in the
home environment were at once acclaimed
by the assembled Republicans, and they
placed in his hands the more weighty and
important issues which held their inter-
est. In short he speedily became a leader.
His business experience, together with the
sane and practical way in which he ap-
plied it to the proceedings of a commit-
tee or the handling of a debate, contrib-
uted largely to the success of the meas-
ures for which he labored. He was a
8
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
member of the committee which framed
the rigid local option laws of the State.
As an orator Ex-Governor Lounsbury
has made a lasting impression on the peo-
ple of the State, as well as on his col-
leagues at the Capitol. During the pres-
idential campaign of 1884 he addressed
great gatherings in the interests of James
G. Blaine. His eloquence evoked the
most laudatory comment on the occasion
of the dedication at Woodstock, in 1886,
of the monument to the Sons of Connec-
ticut who lost their lives on the field of
Gettysburg. The personal magnetism
which has been a part of his success in
the political field made him readily sug-
gestable for the highest office in the gift
of the State. In 1882 his name was en-
thusiastically mentioned for Governor,
but for party reasons it was withdrawn
and the nomination was given to the Hon.
William H. Bulkeley, brother of Ex-Gov-
ernor Morgan G. Bulkeley. In 1884 many
friends again desired Mr. Lounsbury's
nomination, but it was finally given to Mr.
Harrison. In 1886 the sentiment was
overwhelming for Mr. Lounsbury, who
had worked loyally for the success of the
previous candidates. At the convention
in Hartford in 1886 he was unanimously
nominated for Governor on the first bal-
lot. His popularity with the people was
substantially demonstrated at the polls,
and on January 6,' 1887, Phineas Chap-
man Lounsbury was inaugurated Gover-
nor of the State of Connecticut. During
the two years which his term of office
covered, he fulfilled the most confident
prophesies of his friends and administered
wisely the trust placed in his hands by
the people of the State. A law which
has been called one of the most important
of his administration is the "Incorrigible
Criminals Act." This law provides for
the detention for a long period of any
criminal convicted twice of any offense
for which the penalty is not less than two
years. The justification of the severity
of such measures is that primarily the
state prison is for the protection of so-
ciety. The Ex-Governor's own argument
for the bill was that as a mad dog or a
tiger must be confined for the safety of
the public, so the man who has shown
himself to be devoid of honor must be
imprisoned permanently, not allowed to
prey upon the community. The vote upon
this Act was unanimous. His entire ad-
ministration was marked by a frank and
consistent deference to the highest stand-
ards of right and a never failing consid-
eration of the welfare of the people. The
rare tribute of praise from an opponent
was paid him by the "Hartford Times,"
the leading Democratic paper of the State,
at the close of his term of office, as fol-
lows :
Governor Lounsbury retires from the executive
office to-morrow, with a record alike creditable
to him as a man and as an official. While our
political preference did not favor his election to
the chief magistracy of the state, and while we
had, in the outset, some doubts as to the probable
methods of his official course, we may frankly say
at this time that we are satisfied that he has been
one of the best governors Connecticut has ever
had. We have found in Governor Lounsbury a
gentleman of sterling integrity, of unfailing cour-
tesy, gifted with excellent business tact, and in-
clined to administer the affairs of the state on
business principles and with a view to economy
and efficiency in every matter requiring his offi-
cial consideration and action. Governor Louns-
bury unquestionably retires from office with the
respect and hearty good feeling of every one, ir-
respective of party, with whom he has been
brought into official or personal relations.
Such is the record and such the people's
appreciation of the thirty-fifth Governor
of the State of Connecticut.
In the rapidly thinning ranks of the
Grand Army of the Republic, Ex-Gover-
nor Lounsbury is a prominent figure. He
is a member of the Edwin D. Pickett Post,
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
of Stamford. He is one of the two still
living of the one hundred and sixty-two
volunteers in the Civil War who enlisted
from Ridgefield. He is a member of the
Union League and Republican clubs of
New York City, and is a member of Jer-
usalem Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons ; and Eureka Chapter, Royal Arch
Masons. He has always been a devoted
and consistent member of the Methodist
Episcopal church, and an active and in-
fluential layman in the deliberations of
the church gatherings. He served as a
lay delegate to the General Conference in
1888, and has since served in many sim-
ilar capacities. For many years he has
been a trustee of Wesleyan University,
Middletown, Connecticut, from which in-
stitution he received the degree of Doc-
tor of Laws in 1887.
Ex-Governor Lounsbury married, in
1867, Jennie Wright, daughter of Neziah
Wright, one of the founders of the Amer-
ican Bank Note Company. The home
in Ridgefield is one of the most beautiful
estates in Connecticut, comprising seven-
ty-five acres in rolling lawns adorned
with many varieties of flowers and fine
trees. The Lounsbury home has always
been the center of the most genial hospi-
tality, and here Ex-Governor Lounsbury
is at his best, for added to the dignity
with which he meets the public is the
wholesouled charm of the man as a host.
LOUNSBURY, Charles Hugh,
Manufacturer, Man of Affairs.
When a man has won his way to suc-
cess in the business world he has learned
much of practical value. The use of this
knowledge in the administration of pub-
lic affairs, and in the management of
economic institutions, constitutes a gen-
uine service to mankind. The city which
can command the loyal cooperation of her
successful business men is the city which
holds a leading place in the march of
progress. Stamford, Connecticut, counts
among the names of real significance to
the community that of Charles Hugh
Lounsbury, formerly manufacturer, now
banker and merchant of that city.
(II) Michael Lounsbury, son of Rich-
ard and Elizabeth (Du Bois) Lounsbury
(q. v.), was also a prominent man in the
community, as the detailed records show.
He was born in Rye, New York, and
came to Stamford, Connecticut, about
1703. Book A, of Stamford Land Rec-
ords, page 410, records that on January
25, 1702 or 1703, he bought from Samuel
Webb for the sum of £43 10s. seven
acres of upland on the west side of Mill
river, and woodland on Pepper Weed
Ridge, near Taunton. In 1706 or 1707
he obtained twenty-seven acres in the
Rocky Neck, and in the same year other
land in partnership with Edmond Lock-
wood, whose sister Sarah he married,
June 19, 1707. Records of the town of
Rye show that in the year 1709 he sold
land there which he had inherited from
his father. He was chosen highway sur-
veyor at a Stamford town meeting, De-
cember 15, 1719, and again on January 5,
1725 or 1726. On December 18, 1722, he
was one of the collectors chosen to
"gather ye Revarant Mr. Davenport's
rate." He died January 20, 1730.
Robert Lockwood, grandfather of Sa-
rah (Lockwood) Lounsbury, was one of
the early Massachusetts settlers. He
came from England about 1630, and set-
tled in Watertown, Massachusetts. He
was made a freeman, March 9, 1636, and
in 1646 removed to Fairfield, Connecti-
cut, where he died in 1658. His widow,
Susannah, died December 23. 1660. Jon-
athan Lockwood, their son, was born
September 10, 1634, in Watertown, Mas-
sachusetts, and died May 12, 1688, in
10
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Greenwich, Connecticut. He was in
Stamford, October i6; 1660, and lived
there for five years. He removed to
Greenwich, and became a freeman in
1670. He was one of the twenty-seven
original proprietors of that town, served
in the Legislature, and held several minor
offices. He married Mary Ferris, daugh-
ter of Jeffrey Ferris, who was a freeman
in Boston in 1635. Sarah Lockwood,
their daughter, married, June 19, 1707,
Michael Lounsbury, as above noted.
(III) Joshua Lounsbury, son of Mich-
ael and Sarah (Lockwood) Lounsbury,
was born in Stamford, Connecticut, July
1, 1716. He was a prosperous man, and
his name appears in the records of many
land transactions. One of these was the
purchase of a triangular tract lying di-
rectly in front of the present (1919) site
of the Methodist Episcopal church. At
some time between the years 1757 and
1774 he moved over the line into the Col-
ony of New York, for in the latter year
his name appears in the North Castle
Land Records as a resident of that town.
His first wife, whom he married May 3,
1739, was Hannah Scofield, born Decem-
ber 11, 1718. She was the mother of his
children, and died in Stamford, March 20,
1750. She was a daughter of Samuel and
Hannah Scofield. Joshua Lounsbury's
will was the fifth on record in the Surro-
gate Court at White Plains, and is found
in Book A, page 10, dated May 28, 1787.
It was proved December 12, 1787, and
mentions his wife, Martha, his eldest
daughter, Hannah Smith ; his second
daughter, Sarah Brown ; his youngest
daughter, Lydia Southerland ; his son,
Joshua, Jr. ; his grandson, Silas, son of
Joshua, Jr. ; and his granddaughters,
Martha and Mary Ann Southerland. His
second wife, Martha Lounsbury, died
January 14, 1813, aged eighty-eight years.
(IV) Joshua (2) Lounsbury, son of
Joshua (1) and Hannah (Scofield) Louns-
bury, was born October 4, 1745, and died
April 4, 1826. He was a dutiful son and
a devoted husband and father. With the
flower of the colonies he took a loyal part
in the struggle for Independence in the
Revolutionary War, but survived without
being seriously incapacitated. He mar-
ried Susannah Smith, born October 3,
1752.
(V) Silas Lounsbury, son of Joshua
(2) and Susannah (Smith) Lounsbury,
was born January 17, 1771. He was a
farmer, and lived for many years in Stan-
wich, Connecticut. He was a man of pro-
gressive ideas, who thought ahead of his
time and built for the future of his chil-
dren.
(VI) George Lounsbury, son of Silas
Lounsbury, was a prominent citizen of
Fairfield county, Connecticut. He served
in local public offices and as a member of
the State Legislature. For many years
he was a merchant at Long Ridge, in the
town of Stamford, but later returned to
the life of the open, which had interested
him as a boy, and conducted a farm. He
married Louisa Scofield, daughter of Ben-
jamin Scofield, and they were the parents
of eight children : Mary, who married
Seth S. Cook; Sarah, who married James
H. Rowland ; Susan, who married Philip
Clark ; Harriet, deceased ; George, de-
ceased ; Charles Hugh, of whom further ;
Jane E., living; Elizabeth, deceased.
(VII) Charles Hugh Lounsbury, son
of George and Louisa (Scofield) Louns-
bury, was born August 19, 1839. He
spent his boyhood on the farm at Long
Ridge, but as he grew to manhood he
felt the restrictions of the life and chose
to branch out for himself. He entered
into a partnership with Scofield & Cook.
Three years later, in 1861, F. B. Scofield
retired from the business, which was
thereafter carried on under the firm name
II
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
of Cook & Lounsbury. The manufacture
of shoes was becoming an important in-
dustry in New England, and this firm
held a high standard of excellence in its
product. The business grew with the
growth of the section and the develop-
ment of the country. The partnership
continued until 1884, when a period en-
sued when general trade changes made
reorganization advisable. The first change
in the business was that of location, the
factory being removed to the more pop-
ulous part of the town near the railroad
tracks. At this time, George H. Soule,
a bright, alert young man who had for
some time been connected with the sales
department, was admitted to membership
with the firm, and the senior member,
Seth S. Cook, withdrew. This placed
Mr. Lounsbury at the head of the firm and
the name became Lounsbury & Soule.
In 1885 tne firm to°k a l°n& steP ahead
in assuming possession of the new fac-
tory on Broad street where the business
is still located. The factory was equipped
with the most modern machinery, and
from that day until the present time the
policy of the firm has remained the same,
up-to-date equipment, the most improved
methods, and always quality the first con-
sideration.
In 1894 the firm branched out into the
retail trade, purchasing a store at No.
26 Atlantic street. Here they conducted
a thriving retail business under the name
of the Stamford Shoe Company. They
met the needs of the retail trade with the
same comprehensive attention to all per-
tinent details which has always charac-
terized their manufacturing business.
Later Mr. Lounsbury retired and the
company was then incorporated. Late
in the year 1904 he became president of
the Stamford Savings Bank, and since
that time this interest has almost exclu-
sively held his attention. He still owns
the Stamford Shoe Company, which be-
came his personal property when he re-
tired from the firm.
Mr. Lounsbury has always held the
keenest interest in the public welfare and
civic progress. While never seeking po-
litical preferment, and caring nothing for
the game for its own sake, he never shirks
any part in the public service which ap-
peals to him as a duty. His political
convictions hold him loyal to the Repub-
lican party. He has been a member of the
Board of Burgesses and of the City Coun-
cil, also of the Board of Trade, of which
he was president for some years. He is
a director of the Stamford Trust Com-
pany and of the Stamford Savings Bank,
and is secretary and assistant treasurer of
the Stamford Gas and Electric Company,
and a director of the Stamford National
Bank. He is also a director of the Stam-
ford Hospital. He is a member of Union
Lodge, No. 5, Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons, of Stamford, and also of the
Suburban Club.
Mr. Lounsbury married, in Stamford,
Anna Perry Samuel, of St. Louis, and
they are the parents of three daughters:
Alice ; Mary ; Louise, who was the wife
of William P. Hudson, and was the mo-
ther of two children, Florence, deceased,
and Charles H. L., who was an ensign in
the Navy during the European War.
LOCKWOOD FAMILY,
Ancestral History.
The Lockwood family is of ancient
English origin, the name being mentioned
in Domesday Book, which dates it back
over eight hundred years. A place of the
name in Staffordshire, England, is cele-
brated for the medical quality of the
water of its springs. There was also a
town of Lockwood in Yorkshire, Eng-
land. In the reign of Edward III., one
12
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
John Lockwood was attached to the royal
party, fought at Naseby, and was there
wounded, 1327, 1377. In 1392 the name
of John Lockwood is mentioned. In 1470
the Lockwood estates passed to the Hen-
shaws by marriage. The name is often
spelled Lokewood and Lockewood, and
is a compound word formed thus : Locke
or Lock referring to a dweller in or by
an enclosure or confine, and wod, wode,
which is old English wudu, meaning
wood. Hence a remote ancestor of the
family dwelt in a clearing or by the side
of a large wood and which gave him his
name. The American branch of the race
was founded nearly three centuries ago
by Robert and Edmund Lockwood, who
came with Winthrop's company to Mas-
sachusetts. Their descendants were
largely represented in the Colonial and
Revolutionary wars, and at all periods in
our history have proved themselves
worthy and patriotic citizens. The fam-
ily is entitled to display the following es-
cutcheon which was granted in 1530 to
the Rev. Richard Lockwood, rector of
Dingley, Northamptonshire, England:
Arms — Argent, a fesse between three martlets
sable.
Crest — On the stump of an oak tree erased
proper a martlet sable.
Motto — Tutus in undis. (Secure against the
waves.)
(I) Robert Lockwood, founder of the
Stamford and Greenwich branch of the
family, settled in Watertown, Massachu-
setts, in 1630, and in 1637 was made a
freeman. In 1646 he removed to Fairfield,
Connecticut, where he was made a free-
man in 1652, and became a man of promi-
nence in the community. He married
Susannah , and his death occurred
in Fairfield, in 1658. His widow married
(second) Jeffrey Ferris, and survived un-
til 1680.
(II) Lieutenant Jonathan Lockwood,
son of Robert and Susannah Lockwood,
was born September 10, 1634, in Water-
town, Massachusetts. On January 1,
1657, at Easttowne, New Netherlands,
signed a paper promising allegiance to
the Dutch governor "so long as we live
in his jurisdiction." In 1660 he was of
Stamford, Connecticut, where he lived
until 1665. He then sold his estate and
removed to Greenwich. In 1670 he was
made a freeman, in 1671 assistant, and in
1672 became "one of the twenty-seven
proprietors." During four years he rep-
resented the town in the Legislature. His
wife was Mary (sometimes called Ma-
rah), daughter of Jeffrey Ferris. Lieu-
tenant Lockwood passed away May 12,
1688, and a town meeting was called at
which resolutions were adopted expres-
sive of the loss sustained by the commun-
ity in the death of such a man.
(III) Still John Lockwood, son of
Jonathan and Mary (Ferris) Lockwood,
was born about 1674, in Greenwich, Con-
necticut. The name of his wife is un-
known. His death occurred in 1758.
(IV) Jonathan (2) Lockwood, son of
Still John Lockwood, was born in 1719,
in Greenwich, Connecticut. He married
Mercy . He died January 24, 1798.
(V) Frederick Lockwood, son of Jon-
athan (2) and Mercy Lockwood, was born
February 3, 1763, in Greenwich, Connec-
ticut. He acted as executor of his father's
estate. He married Deborah Reynolds,
born May 24, 1766, daughter of Nathaniel
and Sarah (Lockwood) Reynolds, grand-
daughter of Nathan Lockwood, great-
granddaughter of Gershom Lockwood,
great-great-granddaughter of Jonathan
Lockwood, and great-great-great-grand-
daughter of Robert Lockwood, the immi-
grant. Frederick Lockwood died in 1808.
His widow passed away in 1857, after she
had entered her ninety-first year.
(VI) Captain Uriah Lockwood, son of
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Frederick and Deborah (Reynolds) Lock-
wood, was born September i8, 1805. He
was a farmer, running a market sloop
from Mianus to New York City. He mar-
ried, September 24, 1827, Rebecca Smith,
daughter of Joseph and Rebecca (Mills)
Smith, of Stamford, and the children of
Mr. and Mrs. Smith were: Samuel, Abra-
ham, George, Abigail, Polly, Nancy, Re-
becca, born January 19, 1804; Alexander,
and Joseph. Children of Captain and
Mrs. Lockwood : 1. Henry Smith, of
further mention. 2. William A., born
March 9, 1830, died September 3, 183 1. 3.
Frederick Mills, born March 21, 1832,
died October 21, 1892; married, Septem-
ber 15, 1864, Margaret A., daughter of
Edward Hewes, and their children were:
Frederick, born September 22, 1865, and
Mary E., born May 22, 1868, both of
whom are now deceased, each having
left an heir. 4. Mary A., born January
28, 1834; married Andrew Ferris, son of
George Ferris, and died April n, 1875.
5. John L., born August 16, 1836; mar-
ried, January 27, 1863, Mary C. Goodwin,
and died October 30, 1904. 6. Emily E.,
born January 12, 1839; married William
H. Ferris, brother of Andrew Ferris, and
died January 19, 1905. 7. George E., born
July 6, 1841, died October 28, 1874. 8.
Joseph Albert, born July 8, 1843 > now re-
sides near Ossining, New York. Captain
Uriah Lockwood died August 14, 1880,
and his widow survived until January 21,
1893.
(VII) Captain Henry Smith Lock-
wood, son of Captain Uriah and Rebecca
(Smith) Lockwood, was born April 30,
1828, in the western part of the town of
Greenwich, and received his education at
the Greenwich Academy. As a young man
he assisted in the building of the first
bridge which spanned the Mianus river,
and at the same period of his life ran a
market sloop, in association with his fa-
ther, to New York City. Some few years
later Captain Lockwood engaged in busi-
ness for himself as an oyster planter, be-
ginning by transplanting from natural
beds to his own. That was about 1854, and
he was one of the first to undertake the
method of transplanting. His enterprise
proved successful and he developed a
business which was a large one for his
day. Later his sons purchased the busi-
ness.
Captain Lockwood married, December
22, 1850, Sarah Elizabeth White, born
February 3, 1828, daughter of Jacob and
Phoebe (Reynolds) White, and they be-
came the parents of the following chil-
dren: 1. Nelson Uriah, whose biography
follows. 2. Elbert Franklin, whose biog-
raphy follows. 3. William H., born Oc-
tober 25, 1855; married, December 31,
1879, Mary Campbell, born December 21,
1859, daughter of Andrew G. and Mary
A. Campbell, and the following children
have been born to them : Elbert Franklin,
born October 23, 1880, died February 27,
1882; Florence White, born October 8,
1882, married, November 22, 1905, Walter
T., born February 25, 1882, son of Henry
E. and Lillian T. Wessels, and they have
one child, Florence Lockwood Wessels,
born September 19, 1906; Agnes Camp-
bell, born September 25, 1885, died Janu-
ary 12, 1888; Alice Campbell, born June
5, 1889; and Henry Smith, born June 27,
1891. William H. Lockwood and his
wife are of Brooklyn, New York. Cap-
tain Henry Smith Lockwood died Novem-
ber 22, 1910, his wife having passed away
July 20, 1908. Mrs. Lockwood was a
member of the Methodist Episcopal
church.
Captain Henry Smith Lockwood was
an able, aggressive business man, a good
citizen, and irreproachable in every rela-
tion of private life.
14
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
LOCKWOOD, Edward Morgan,
Lawyer, Public Official.
It is a pleasure and source of satisfac-
tion to trace descent from the old and
honored families of Colonial days, as does
Edward M. Lockwood, of Norwalk.
Some idea of the ancient origin of the
name of Lockwood is gleaned from the
fact that it appears in the "Domesday
Book."
(II) Ephraim Lockwood, fourth son
of Robert and Susannah Lockwood (q.
v.), was born December I, 1641, in Wa-
tertown. He was but a youth when
brought by his parents to Norwalk, and
there grew to manhood. He purchased a
house and lot and had an inventory of
seventy pounds in 1673, and of one hun-
dred and twenty pounds in 1687, which
proves that he was a sturdy, thrifty man.
He married, June 8, 1665, Mercy St. John,
daughter of Matthias St. John. The lat-
ter was the first of the name in America,
born in England, and came to Dorchester,
Massachusetts, in 1631-32. He was in
Windsor in 1640, and in 1654 removed to
Norwalk. The name of his wife is not
on record.
(III) Daniel Lockwood, son of Eph-
raim and Mercy (St. John) Lockwood,
was born August 13, 1668, in Norwalk,
Connecticut, and died there previous to
1744. He was the official "pounder" of
lawless cattle, March 5, 1700. He mar-
ried, November 30, 1702, Charity Clem-
ents, daughter of Rev. William and Eliza-
beth Clements.
(IV) Daniel (2) Lockwood, eldest son
of Daniel (1) and Charity (Clements)
Lockwood, was born December 13, 1703,
in Stamford, Connecticut. He married
(first) April 5, 1734, Mary Webb, born
July 28, 1 71 5, died May 28, 1741, daugh-
ter of Joseph and Mary (Hait) Webb.
(V) Daniel (3) Lockwood, first child
of Daniel (2) and Mary (Webb) Lock-
wood, was born January 5, 1735, in Stam-
ford, Connecticut, and died November
28, 1807. He was a member of the Con-
gregational church in 1774. He married,
March 17, 1754, Mary Bellamy, who died
in 1810.
(VI) Daniel (4) Lockwood, second son
and seventh child of Daniel (3) and Mary
(Bellamy) Lockwood, was born January
21, 1769, in Stamford, Connecticut, where
he died October 8, 1837. He married
(first) May 9, 1802, Sally (Sarah) Jessup,
born October 14, 1779, in Greenwich, died
September 8, 1829, daughter of Jonathan
(2) Jessup, who was born September 12,
1734, in Greenwich, and died April 22,
1805. He married Ann, daughter of Ger-
shom Lockwood, and she died April 14,
1825. He was the son of Jonathan (1)
Jessup, who was baptized August 3, 1707.
He was a farmer and also was a carpen-
ter. The Christian name of his wife was
Sarah. He was a son of Edward (2)
Jessup, who was born in 1663, either in
Newtown or West Farms, New York, and
died December 28, 1732. He was three
years of age when his father died. He
married Elizabeth, daughter of John and
Elizabeth (Harvey) Hyde, and she died
October 2, 1747. He was a son of Edward
(1) Jessup, the immigrant ancestor of
the Jessup family in America, who was in
New England as early as 1649, m which
year he was a citizen of Stamford, Con-
necticut.
(VII) Solomon Morgan Lockwood, son
of Daniel (4) and Sally (Jessup) Lock-
wood, was born July 24, 1818, in Stam-
ford, Connecticut. He removed to New
Canaan, Connecticut, where the major
portion of his life was spent. He was
a farmer. Mr. Lockwood married, De-
cember 12, 1850, Mary Elizabeth Ayres,
born April, 1827, daughter of Jonathan
and Jane (Chapman) Ayres. With his
15
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
family, he attended the Congregational
church. Mr. and Mrs. Lockwood were
the parents of three children: i. Mary
Bellamy, born December 6, 1851, now
deceased. 2. Caroline A., who became
the wife of James B. Jenkins; Mr. and
Mrs. Jenkins lived in Oneida, New York,
and they are now deceased, being sur-
vived by a son, Harry Jenkins. 3. Ed-
ward Morgan, of further mention.
(VIII) Edward Morgan Lockwood,
only son and youngest child of Solomon
Morgan and Mary Elizabeth (Ay res)
Lockwood, was born September 20, 1859,
in New Canaan, Connecticut, and baptized
June 20, i860. Mr. Lockwood was edu-
cated in the public schools, and after
completing the courses there took up the
study of law under private tutors. In
this manner he prepared for entrance
to Columbia College Law School, from
which he was graduated in 1883, and in
June of the same year was admitted to
the bar of New York State. Mr. Lock-
wood engaged in the practice of his
profession in New York City, and sub-
sequently removed to Norwalk, Connec-
ticut. There amidst the scenes and as-
sociations of his forefathers, he began
his practice of law, being admitted to
the Connecticut bar in 1885. For over
three decades he has been among the re-
spected members of the Fairfield County
Bar Association, and through his upright-
ness and ideals has won for himself well
deserved honors. He served for one term
as prosecuting attorney of the Town
Court, and for sixteen years was judge
of the Town and City Court, and was
appointed corporation counsel and city
clerk, serving from 1894 to 1898, and
as corporation counsel again from 191 5
to 1917; and has held other city offices.
The efficient and commendable manner
in which Mr. Lockwood discharged the
duties incumbent on these offices is suf-
ficient warrant of his ability. He is a
Republican in politics, and actively in-
terested in all measures which tend to
better the welfare of his town. Socially
he is a member of the Norwalk Club, the
Norwalk Country Club, the Westport
Country Club, and the East Norwalk
Yacht Club.
Mr. Lockwood married, August 22,
1886, in New York City, Margaret Flor-
ence Patterson, daughter of John and
Mary Patterson, and they are the parents
of four children: 1. Dorothy May, born
May 5, 1887; is now the wife of Lansing
D. Odell, of Norwalk, Connnecticut. 2.
Alan Edward, a graduate of Cornell Uni-
versity; he enlisted at Washington and
was given rank of first lieutenant and
served in aviation in France ; in October,
191 7, he went overseas and remained in
active service until May, 1919. 3. Mary
Patterson, died in June, 1901, at the age
of ten years. 4. Edward Morgan, Jr.,
born October 21, 1902. Mr. Lockwood
and his family are members and regular
attendants of the First Congregational
Church of Norwalk.
LOCKWOOD, Charles Davenport,
Lawyer, Legislator.
Bearing the name of a splendid ances-
try, Judge Charles D. Lockwood, of Stam-
ford, Connecticut, has reached a high
place in life as a citizen and man of public
affairs.
(II) Lieutenant Gershom Lockwood,
son of Robert and Susannah Lockwood
(q. v.), was born September 6, 1643, in
Watertown, and died March 12, 1718-19,
in Greenwich, Connecticut. He was but
a boy of nine when his father removed to
Greenwich, and fifteen years on the death
of the latter. He was the principal builder
and carpenter of Greenwich, a man of
useful deeds, of importance to the com-
16
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
munity. He was one of the twenty-seven
proprietors of Greenwich. He married
Lady Ann Millington, daughter of Lord
Millington, of England. In 1660 she re-
ceived from her home in England a large
carved oaken chest said to contain one-
half bushel of guineas and many fine silk
dresses. This chest was in the home of
Samuel Ferris in Greenwich in 1888.
(III) Gershom (2) Lockwood, son of
Lieutenant Gershom (1) and Ann (Mil-
lington) Lockwood, born in Greenwich,
was admitted a freeman, February 7,
1693-94, and with his brother William
built a bridge across Myanos river. His
wife's Christian name was Mary, and they
were the parents of Gershom, of whom
further.
(IV) Gershom (3) Lockwood, son of
Gershom (2) and Mary Lockwood, was
born in Greenwich, in 1708. He married
Mary Ferris, born the same year, died
February 9, 1796.
(V) Gershom (4) Lockwood, son of
Gershom (3) and Mary (Ferris) Lock-
wood, was born about 1728, and died in
1798, of dropsy, at Stanwich, Connecticut.
He married Eunice Close, of Horse Neck
Parish, Greenwich, born about 1728, died
1808, and was buried in Greenwich.
(VI) Joseph Lockwood, son of Ger-
shom (4) and Eunice (Close) Lockwood,
was born November 13, 1769, and in early
life lived on a small farm. Later he went
to New York City, and there engaged in
business as a merchant tailor for some
years. He then located in North Stam-
ford, Connecticut, and lived a retired life
until his death. He married Sarah Alau-
son, of Stanwich, Connecticut, and was
the father of Gideon Reed, of whom fur-
ther.
(VII) Gideon Reed Lockwood, son of
Joseph and Sarah (Alauson) Lockwood,
was born in North Stamford, Connecticut,
February 27, 1793, died April 11, 1879.
Conn— 8— 2
He married, February 25, 1818, in Pound-
ridge, New York, Mary Ayres, who was
born there February 14, 1798, daughter
of Reuben and Elizabeth (Lounsbury)
Ayres, who died about 1871.
(VIII) Henry Lockwood, son of Gid-
eon Reed and Mary (Ayres) Lockwood,
was born March 22, 1843, in North Stam-
ford, Connecticut, where he was educated
in the district schools and spent his
boyhood on a farm. He attended East-
man's Business College, Poughkeepsie,
New York. In February, 1866, he came to
Stamford, Connecticut, as clerk in a hard-
ware store owned by S. W. Scofield, and
after fifteen years Mr. Lockwood pur-
chased the business of his employer, Feb-
ruary 1, 1881. In 1914 the business was
incorporated as The Lockwood & Palmer
Company, with Mr. Lockwood as presi-
dent, a position which he now holds at
the age of seventy-eight years. The
present building occupied by the corpora-
tion covers a floor space of sixty-six by
eighty-five feet, and contains five stories.
Mr. Lockwood is domestic in his tastes,
and has a ready ear for any welfare move-
ment to help the general public. He has
given his undivided attention to his busi-
ness which accounts in a large measure
for its wonderful growth.
Mr. Lockwood married, April 24, 1872,
Helen Maria Davenport, born April 19,
1 85 1, daughter of George and Charlotte
(Warner) Davenport, a descendant of
an old and honorable family. (See Dav-
enport VII).
(IX) Charles Davenport Lockwood,
son of Henry and Helen Maria (Daven-
port) Lockwood, was born November 11,
1877, in Stamford, Connecticut. He at-
tended the public and high schools there.
He graduated from Sheffield Scientific
School in 1900 with the degree of Ph. B.,
and from Yale Law School in 1903 with
the degree of LL. B. While at Yale
17
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
he was captain of the university basket-
ball team and represented Yale in inter-
collegiate debates against Harvard and
Princeton. He was admitted to the bar
in the State of Connecticut in 1903 and in
New York in 1904, and was assistant
district attorney under Willam Travers
Jerome from 1903 to 1906 in New York
City. In November, 1906, he was elected
judge of probate in Stamford, in 1908 was
reelected to this office, and in 1910 was
endorsed by both parties. On the expira-
tion of his term in 1913, he refused to be
a candidate for reelection. Judge Lock-
wood formed a partnership with Homer
S. Cummings, a sketch of whom appears
elsewhere in this work, and they have a
large general practice, being one of the
important law firms in the State.
Many outside interests have demanded
the attention of Judge Lockwood, and he
has been called to serve on a great many
directorates of leading business and fi-
nancial institutions. He is president and
a director of The Citizens' Savings Bank
of Stamford, a trustee of the Stamford
Children's Home, a director of the First-
Stamford National Bank, a director of the
Stamford Morris Plan Bank, president of
the Shippan Point Land Company, and
secretary of The Lockwood & Palmer
Company.
In politics Judge Lockwood is a Demo-
crat, and has taken more than a passive
interest in that party. In 1913 he was
representative from Stamford in the
Lower House, and was a candidate for
lieutenant-governor in 1918. He was an
able and efficient legislator and served
on the committee on incorporations. He
was one of the four delegates-at-large sent
from Connecticut to the Democratic Na-
tional Convention in St. Louis in 1906,
and to the convention in San Francisco in
1920; was chairman of the local Draft
Board of the City of Stamford ; member
of the Committee on State Protection.
Judge Lockwood married, October 13,
1906, Gertrude Bell, daughter of Harry
Bell, of Stamford, and they are the par-
ents of three children : Charles Daven-
port, Jr., born December 22, 1907; Wal-
ter Bell, born February 14, 191 1; Bar-
bara Elizabeth, born July 3, 1918.
(The Davenport Line).
(I) Mrs. Helen M. (Davenport) Lock-
wood descends from John Davenport,
who came to America in 1639. He was
admitted a freeman in New Haven, in
May, 1657, and in 1660 removed to Boston
with his family, where he was made free-
man the following year. He was a mer-
chant and probate registrar. He died
March 21, 1677. He married, November
27, 1663, Abigail Pierson, daughter of
Rev. Abraham Pierson, of Branford, and
sister of Rev. Abraham Pierson, first rec-
tor of Yale College.
(II) Rev. John (2) Davenport, son of
John (1) and Abigail (Pierson) Daven-
port, was born in Boston, February 22,
1668, and was baptized by his grandfather
on the 28th of the same month. He grad-
uated from Harvard in 1687 and began to
preach in 1690. Three years later he came
to Stamford, Connecticut, and was or-
dained pastor of the church there in 1694.
He was a member of Yale College Cor-
poration from 1707 to 1 73 1. He married,
April 18, 1695, Mrs. Martha (Gould) Sel-
leck.
(III) John (3) Davenport, son of Rev.
John (2) and Martha (Gould-Selleck)
Davenport, was born January 21, 1698, in
Stamford, Connecticut, and there was
married by his father to Sarah Bishop,
September 6, 1722. He removed to Dav-
enport Ridge, and was one of the original
twenty-four members of the Congrega-
tional church in New Canaan, June 20,
1733. He died November 17, 1742.
(IV) John (4) Davenport, son of John
(3) and Sarah (Bishop) Davenport, was
18
C^^<^<rx/-^( x
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
born January 15, 1724. He united with
the church, March 7, 1742. He married
Deborah Amblar, June 2, 1748, and died
June 23, 1756.
(V) Deacon John (5) Davenport, son
of John (4) and Deborah (Amblar) Dav-
enport, was a carpenter and farmer. He
was an early member of the Congrega-
tional church and was appointed deacon,
May 8, 1796. He married (first) Pru-
dence Bell, daughter of Jesse Bell, of
Stamford, who died December 23, 1794.
He died February 5, 1820.
(VI) James Davenport, son of Deacon
John (5) and Prudence (Bell) Davenport,
was born February 2, 1787, in Davenport
Ridge, and died October 27, 1845. He
was a farmer. He married, February 6,
1810, Martha Warren, of Norwalk. They
united with the church in 1815.
(VII) George Davenport, son of James
and Martha (Warren) Davenport, was
born in Davenport Ridge, March 24,
1813. He married (second) March 26,
1850, Charlotte Warner. They were the
parents of Helen Maria Davenport, who
became the wife of Henry Lockwood.
(See Lockwood VIII).
LOCKWOOD, William F. H.,
Financier.
William Fletcher Hanford Lockwood,
of Greenwich, is a member of the old and
distinguished family of Lockwood, a rep-
resentative in the eighth generation.
(Ill) Lieut. Gershom Lockwood, son
of Jonathan and Mary (Ferris) Lock-
wood (q. v.), was born 1676, in Green-
wich, Connecticut, and was admitted a
freeman there, February 7, 1697. In May,
1726, he was deputy of the Colonial As-
sembly of Connecticut. He served as jus-
tice of the peace in May, 1726-27-28, and
was deputy in 1747-50. He married Han-
nah .
(IV) Nathan Lockwood, son of Lieu-
tenant Gershom and Hannah Lockwood,
was born in Greenwich, Connecticut, July
28,1704. He married Sarah about
1740, and died July 28, 1761. He made a
will June 11, 1761, which was probated
August 4, 1 761.
(V) Thaddeus Lockwood, son of Na-
than and Sarah ( ) Lockwood, was
born in Greenwich, Connecticut, about
1741, and died in 1814. He married and
had a large family.
(VI) Ira Lockwood, son of Thaddeus
Lockwood, was born October 17, 1769, in
Greenwich, Connecticut, and died April
19, 1846, on the homestead where he first
saw the light. He was a very successful
farmer and although starting in life with
small resources became a man of wealth,
due to his own initiative and persever-
ance. He was a Whig in politics. For a
number of years he was a constable. He
married Clementine Mills, February 14,
1794 (born December 19, 1770). During
the early part of their married life they
were members of the Baptist church, but
later were members of the Episcopal
church. Their children were : Alva, born
May 14, 1795, died October 15, 1825; Ly-
dia, born June 16, 1797, married Isaac
Ostrander, May 14, 1814; she died May
13, 1857; Ira, Jr., born January 25, 1800,
and died April 11, 1825 ; Ralph, born April
16, 1804, and died unmarried, October 20,
1866 ; and Hanford, of further mention.
(VII) Hanford Lockwood, son of Ira
and Clementine (Mills) Lockwood, was
born June 7, 1808, in Greenwich, Connec-
ticut, and died January 27, 1896. He was
one of the foremost men of his day in his
community, a public-spirited citizen. He
was born on the farm where his father
and grandfather were born and lived their
lives. In his childhood days, during the
summer, he was accustomed to help his
19
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
father in the work about the farm, and in
the winter attended the district schools.
He had a great desire to acquire a broader
education than the district schools af-
forded, and at the age of about fourteen
opportunity made it possible for him to
attend the Union Hall Academy in New
York City. His son, William F. H. Lock-
wood, has a map in his home in Green-
wich, Connecticut, which his father drew
while attending Union Hall Academy,
covering the United States. At that time
the Mississippi river was the Western
border. The map is dated 1823. Natu-
rally, Mr. Lockwood greatly prizes this
old map made by his father. Hanford's
first position was as a clerk in a grocery
store in New York City, in the employ of
William J. Romer ; his wages were five
dollars a month. At the end of the first
year he had saved thirty dollars, be-
sides clothing himself, and here were
first shown the traits of business acumen
which later developed. Because of sick-
ness in the family he was obliged to re-
turn home, where he remained two years.
At the end of that time he returned again
to New York City, and entered the store
of his sister's husband, Isaac Ostrander,
and for the first year he received eight
dollars a month and for the second twelve.,
and at the end of the third year fifteen
dollars a month.
After he had become of age, Mr. Lock-
wood secured a position teaching school
in Greenwich, Connecticut, and "boarded
round" among the parents of the children
of the district, as was the custom at that
time. The highest pay he received as
teacher was fifteen dollars a month. His
genial disposition and pleasant manner
soon endeared him to all and he made
many lasting friends. The second year of
his teaching school he was engaged in
what was known as the "Nash District."
During this time he made the acquain-
ance of Susan, daughter of James Nash,
the man who engaged him to teach the
school. She was born July 14, 1812. On
October 6, 1830, they were married, and
she died October 27, 1869, without issue.
In the month of April, 183 1, Hanford
Lockwood commenced business as a gro-
cer, locating at No. 90 Roosevelt street,
New York City. He continued in that
line of business for twenty-four years,
when he retired and returned to his na-
tive town, where he resided on the old
homestead of his birth until February,
1878, when he moved to his large estate
in Greenwich, Connecticut, known as
"Grand View." During his residence in
New York City he made investments in
real estate which greatly increased in
value during his ownership. His real es-
tate activities extended to various parts
of the country. For many years he was
largely interested in the New York stock
market, where he also met with success.
Mr. Lockwood showed keen business
ability in every line of his undertakings.
He was the first president of the Green-
wich Trust, Loan & Deposit Company,
which he established in 1887, and re-
mained its president until he reached his
eighty-second year, when feeling that he
wished to be relieved of so great a re-
sponsibility at his time of life, he resigned.
The bank is now known as The Green-
wich Trust Company.
During the greater part of his life he
was actively interested in church work,
and for many years was one of the most
influential members of the Methodist
Episcopal church in his native town. He
contributed his happiness and success to
his religious principles.
Mr. Lockwood married for his second
wife, Fanny (Roscoe) Lounsbury, widow
of Samuel D. F. Lounsbury, and daughter
of William and Anna (Browne) Roscoe,
on January 31, 1872. She was born July
20
s%
c^y~?s-&^
yf^/ ^Jo^^uXtr-iTl
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
20, 1831, and died on Saturday, March 5,
1921, at her home in Greenwich. They
had one son, William Fletcher Hanford,
the subject of this review.
(VIII) William Fletcher Hanford Lock-
wood, son of Hanford and Fanny (Ros-
coe-Lounsbury) Lockwood, was born in
Greenwich, Connecticut, May 22, 1875,
on the old homestead of his father and
grandfather. He was educated in the
Greenwich Academy and at the Borden-
town Military Institute, at Bordentown,
New Jersey, and the Centenary Collegiate
Institute at Hackettstown, New Jersey,
and the Berkeley Institute at Boston, Mas-
sachusetts. After completing his educa-
tion, his time was entirely devoted to
the care of his personal and financial af-
fairs. He is interested in real estate and
the New York stock market, and has been
very successful in his undertakings. On
December 27, 1897, Mr. Lockwood was
elected a director of the Greenwich Trust
Company, an office he held for about
eighteen years. On December 18, 1895,
he married Daisy Lucille Jackson. She
was born August 28, 1875, at Millbrook,
New York, the daughter of John A. and
Mary Frances (Morse) Jackson. They are
the parents of one daughter, Clementine
Elizabeth Lockwood, born in Greenwich,
Connecticut, June 3, 1903. She is now
attending the Bennett School at Mill-
brook, New York. She inherits much of
ability and intellect due her from a long
line of prominent, intellectual and influen-
tial ancestors.
An extensive genealogy of the Lock-
wood family was published in 1889, com-
piled by Frederick A. Holden and E. Dun-
bar Lockwood, and it shows over four
thousand descendants of Robert Lock-
wood who came to this country in 1630.
It also shows that one hundred and forty-
seven of them served in the War of the
Revolution and earlier wars with the
French and Indians, giving the rank of
service from private to that of brigadier-
general. From these descendants have
come men who have held honorable places,
not only on the roll of fame in military
lines, but whose genius, tact, intelligence
and learning have given them places hon-
orable and high in the professional and
business world.
(The Koscoe Line).
William Roscoe was born August 11,
1806, in Greenwich, Connecticut, and died
June 25, 1875. He received a liberal edu-
cation and learned the trade of carriage
builder. In this line of business he was
active the greater part of his life. He
was the son of Abraham Roscoe, who
was born in 1778, died in 1833, and who
married Fanny Gruman, born in 1781 and
died in February, 1821.
William Roscoe was an active member
of the Methodist Episcopal church of
Port Chester, New York, for many years
and until the time of his death. On Sep-
tember 2, 1830, he married Anna Browne,
of Greenwich, Connecticut, born July 14,
1812, died May 8, 1883, in Greenwich.
She was the daughter of Thomas Browne,
an Englishman, and his wife, Hannah.
Their children were : Fanny, born July
20, 1 83 1, died March 5, 192 1 ; she mar-
ried Hanford Lockwood (see Lockwood
VII) ; Mary Elizabeth, born December
25, 1832, died January 13, 1915 ; Julia Ann,
born May 12, 1834, died February 22,
1910; William Bradley, born July 17,
1837, died December 21, 1839; Hanna
Augusta, born December 4, 1840, died
June 14, 1914.
LOCKWOOD, George Francis,
Man of Affairs.
The career of George F. Lockwood,
president of the New Canaan National
Bank, is one well worthy of emulation by
21
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
the youth of the present day. Industry,
thrift and perseverance has marked his
way through life, and to these qualities
he added business ability of a high order
and an honesty of purpose that has
brought success to his well-directed ef-
forts. His name is known in business
and financial circles as that of a man who
can be trusted, and with whom it is a
satisfaction to transact business. He is
a descendant of the well known Lock-
wood family.
(IV) Edmund Lockwood. son of Dan-
iel and Charity (Clements) Lockwood
(q. v.), was born November n, 1717, and
died September 12, 1798. He married
(first) April 26, 1742, Hannah Scofield,
of Stamford, and she died September 4,
1760.
(V) Ezra Lockwood, son of Edmund
and Hannah (Scofield) Lockwood, was
born May 30, 1747, in Stamford, Connec-
ticut, and died March 8, 1821. He en-
listed in April, 1775, in Captain Joseph
Hoit's company and went to the defense
of New York, serving eight days. Ezra
Lockwood married (second) Ann Davis,
and she died June 22, 1822.
(VI) Dr. Samuel Lockwood, son of
Ezra and Ann (Davis) Lockwood, was
born in Watertown, Connecticut, July 21,
1787, and died in Stamford. March 10,
1859. The Lockwood family were pio-
neers in Watertown, Massachusetts, Wa-
tertown. Connecticut, and Watertown,
New York. Samuel Lockwood studied
medicine with Dr. Elton and graduated
from the New York Medical College. He
opened an office in Stamford and rapidly
gained prominence as a physician, being
highly esteemed among the townspeople.
Dr. Lockwood was especially loved by
the children and in 1838, upon his retire-
ment from practice, he bought a farm
near the site of the present Stamford Hos-
pital, where he passed the remainder of
his life in quiet rest. He married (first)
January 14, 1820, Helen Sheddon, born in
1792 at Falkirk, Scotland, daughter of
John and Helen (Hodge) Sheddon.
(VII) John Davis Lockwood, son of
Dr. Samuel Lockwood and his first wife,
Helen (Sheddon) Lockwood, was born in
Stamford, Connecticut, March 14, 1823,
and died in September, 1857. His educa-
tional opportunities were limited, but he
made the most of those at hand. He did
not care for farm life, and soon after
reaching manhood went to New York
City and there entered the Hecker Com-
pany flour mill. He was placed in charge
of the Brooklyn mill, which burned down,
and Mr. Lockwood then returned to a
place near to the old home, where his
death occurred. Mr. Lockwood married
Jeanette Gray, daughter of Holly Gray;
she died in 1877. They were the parents
of the following children: Antoinette H.,
married George E. Whitney, and is now
deceased ; had one son, Edward P. Whit-
ney, of New York ; Helen S., George
Francis, of whom further ; Emily J., Rob-
ert D., Amelia H.
(VIII) George Francis Lockwood, son
of John Davis and Jeanette (Gray) Lock-
wood, was born November 17, 1849, on
Hubbard's Hill, Stamford, Connecticut.
He was educated in the public schools
and Professor Glendenning's Academy.
When he was fourteen years old he en-
tered the employ of the Stamford Bank,
where he remained for five years, and then
went to New York City as cashier in the
office of James McCreary & Company.
His health became impaired, and he spent
a year recuperating at New Milford. Con-
necticut. Subsequently, he went to St.
Paul. Minnesota, in the year 1869, and
his chief employment there was with
General Owen?, who had charge of an
expedition serving the Northern Pacific
Railroad. Mr. Lockwood was on a
22
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
branch of it that went to Partridge River
from St. Cloud. He was there about two
years, and then returned East and trav-
eled a season with G. F. Bailey, who
was in the early days of his career a cir-
cus man. When Mr. Bailey combined
with P. T. Barnum, Mr. Lockwood was
offered the treasurership of the combined
shows, but declined the offer. Returning
to New Canaan, he became identified as
bookkeeper and teller with the bank of
which he is now chief executive. For ten
years he remained in this position, and
then for a second time went West, spend-
ing a winter in Minneapolis and St. Paul,
Minnesota. Upon his return to New Can-
aan, Connecticut, he went into the shoe
business of Benedict & Company, manu-
facturers, as a member of the firm. For
over a quarter of a century he continued
in this business, being at the head of it
most of this time, until at length the bus-
iness was given up.
During all these intervening years, Mr.
Lockwood had been a member of the
board of directors of the New Canaan
National Bank, and in 1908 was elected
president of the institution, which office
he now holds. The father of Mr. Lock-
wood was a Whig in politics, and his
mother's family were Democrats. He
grew up in the latter political faith, but
has always been an Independent in polit-
ical action. For a number of years he
served as town treasurer ; was warden of
the borough for two years, and during his
term the borough saved money, a unique
experience in its financial history. Mr.
Lockwood has been identified for many
years with the different village improve-
ment societies and the Village Club to
improve young men ; in short, he is to be
found identified with any of the welfare
movements for the general good.
Mr. Lockwood married, December 12,
1878, Emma N. Benedict, born November
J5. I853, daughter of Charles and Sarah
E. (Dann) Benedict, the well known shoe
manufacturer of New Canaan. Mr. Lock-
wood and his wife attend St. Mark's
Episcopal Church, of which he has been
warden for twenty-five years.
LOCKWOOD, Luke Vincent,
Lawyer, Public Official.
The name of Lockwood is one of the
most ancient surnames found on English
records, and it is worthily represented in
the present generation by Luke Vincent
Lockwood, of New York City.
(VI) Frederick (2) Lockwood, son of
Frederick (1) and Deborah (Reynolds)
Lockwood (q. v.), was born February
4, 1788. He married Mary Ann Jessup,
daughter of Gershom and Rhoda (Knapp)
Jessup. They were the parents of Luke
Adolphus, of further mention.
(VII) Luke Adolphus Lockwood, son
of Frederick (2) and Mary Ann (Jessup)
Lockwood, was born in Riverside, town
of Greenwich, Connecticut, December 1,
1833, and until fourteen years of age at-
tended the public schools of that town.
He prepared for college at Greenwich
Academy and entered Trinity College in
185 1, graduating in 1855 as valedictorian
of his class. In 1888 Mr. Lockwood re-
ceived the degree of M. A., and was for
three years chosen by the Alumni an elec-
tive trustee, and in 1890 was elected
trustee for life. His alma mater also con-
ferred on him the degree of LL. D. After
his graduation, Mr. Lockwood read law
in a New York office and was admitted
to the bar of that State in 1856, and sub-
sequently was admitted to the Connec-
ticut bar, although his practice was
Avholly in New York City. In his earlier
years of practice, Mr. Lockwood was a
member of the firm of Lockwood &
Lewis, and after an interval of many
23
C 90.0-074&
<l
Kn/3
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
years alone he formed another partner-
ship under the name of Lockwood & Hill.
While for some years he resided in
Brooklyn, New York, in the winters, he
always retained the ancestral estate in the
town of Greenwich, which has been in
the family since the original grant in
1642.
In 1875 Mr. Lockwood started a mis-
sion chapel at Riverside known as St.
Paul's and laid the cornerstone the fol-
lowing year. For eleven years thereafter
he conducted the Sunday school and eve-
ning service, and for years held the office
of senior warden. He held a license to
preach and enjoyed an intimate friend-
ship with the late Bishop Williams.
He was made a Mason in 1856, in
Union Lodge, No. 5, Stamford, Connec-
ticut. At the organization of Acacia
Lodge, No. 85, in Greenwich, in 1858, he
was a charter member and served as its
first worshipful master, continuing in the
office for ten years thereafter, and after an
interval serving again for two years. In
1858 he was exalted a Royal Arch Mason
in Rittenhouse Chapter, No. 11, Stamford,
and served as high priest in 1864 and
1865. On May 9, 1872, he was elected
grand master of the Grand Lodge, of Con-
necticut, from the floor, a very rare oc-
currence, the only other instance up to
that time being in 1816, when Oliver Wol-
cott, who the same year had been elected
Governor of the State, was elected from
the floor. Mr. Lockwood filled the office
for two years and his administration was
characterized by a careful and intelligent
direction of the affairs of the craft,
marked with progress and prosperity.
His annual address, delivered before the
Grand Lodge in 1873, is distinguished not
alone for ability and intelligence man-
ifested but for the inception of the Ma-
sonic Charity Foundation of Connecticut,
which was later chartered by the State.
He was one of the incorporators of the
home at Wallingford, was elected a mem-
ber of the board of managers and became
its first president. On May 9, 1865, he
was elcted grand high priest of the Grand
Chapter and was reelected in 1866. His
administration was distinguished for
ability and a high moral tone, leaving the
impress of a master's hand, more endur-
ing than marble, upon every page of its
history. During almost the entire con-
nection of Mr. Lockwood with these bod-
ies, he was honored as chairman of the
committee on jurisprudence, and his legal
mind wrought order out of chaos, fur-
nishing for the government of the craft
a system of masonic law unexcelled by
that of any jurisdiction. He wrote "Lock-
wood's Masonic Law and Practice," a most
valuable book of jurisprudence, which
has been adopted by the Grand Bod-
ies of Connecticut, and is recognized as
a standard work throughout the country.
Of Mr. Lockwood, it was said by a fel-
low craftsman :
To Freemasonry in Connecticut, he has been a
tower of strength — a Father in Israel — and his in-
fluence has been the means, to a great extent,
of laying the foundations of the order in Con-
necticut on a broad, deep and enduring basis. As
a student of the philosophy and symbolism of
freemasonry, he is not excelled, and as a teacher
of its grand and uplifting precepts, he has few
equals, being himself controlled by the highest
principles of morality, and virtue that underlie
its teachings, and which are wrought out in his
daily life. He has delivered many masonic ad-
dresses and written numerous articles on the
subject of Freemasonry.
Mr. Lockwood married, September 11,
1862, Mary -Louise Lyon, daughter of
Captain James and Catherine (Mead)
Lyon. She was born in Greenwich, Con-
necticut, March 10, 1841. Her father,
Captain James Lyon, was one of the most
prominent citizens of Greenwich. He
sailed regularly between America and
24
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Liverpool. At one time he owned the
"Fairfield," and at another time the
''Oceanic. " At the time he became mas-
ter of a vessel, Mr. Lyon was only about
twenty-two years of age ; he retired from
the sea early in life, having acquired quite
a competence. He was interested in the
New York, New Haven & Hartford Rail-
road at the time it was organized, being
one of the directors. His home was the
large house with the cupola on the post
road in Greenwich, next to the hotel
known now as "The Maples." The chil-
dren of Luke A. and Mary Louise (Lyon)
Lockwood were : Theodora Lyon, born
January 12, 1868; Gertrude Louise, born
October 29, 1869; Luke Vincent, of fur-
ther mention ; William Frederic, who
died young.
(VIII) Luke Vincent Lockwood, eld-
est son of Luke Adolphus and Mary
Louise (Lyon) Lockwood, was born in
Brooklyn, New York, February 1, 1872.
He prepared for college at King's School
in Stamford, and was graduated from
Trinity College in 1893 with the degree
of A. B. He then entered the New York
Law School, from which he was gradu-
ated in 1895 with the degree of LL. B.,
and was admitted to the bar the same
year in New York City. In 1895 he re-
ceived the degree of M. A. from Trinity
College. About 191 1 Mr. Lockwood was
admitted to the Connecticut bar. The
same year in which he graduated also
marked the beginning of his association
with the firm of Lockwood & Hill, and
in 1901 he was admitted to partnership.
After the death of his father, the firm
name was changed to Hill, Lockwood,
Redfield & Lydon. Mr. Lockwood makes
a specialty of corporate and estate work.
In politics, Mr. Lockwood holds inde-
pendent views ; he is chairman of the
Highway Commission in Greenwich, and
is a member of the Board of Estimate and
Taxation. His interests are not solely
confined to his legal work ; he has an
active share in the executive manage-
ment of several industrial and financial
institutions. He is a director of the
Greenwich Trust Company ; president of
the News & Graphic ; president of the
Greenwich Hospital ; president of the
Beaumont Glass Company of Morgan-
town, West Virginia ; director of the Nor-
folk Southern Railroad ; director of the
Thatcher Furnace Company ; director of
Flint & Horner Company, of New York;
director of the Commercial Acetylene &
Supply Company, and of several other
corporations.
Mr. Lockwood's hobby is antiquarian-
ism, and he has written a number of
books on the subject which are recog-
nized as standard authority. Among
them are : "Colonial Furniture in Amer-
ica," "Pendleton Collection," "A Collec-
tion of English Furniture of the Seven-
teenth and Eighteenth Centuries," "Fur-
niture Collection Glossary," "Articles on
Colonial Silver."
At the time of the Hudson-Fulton Cel-
ebration, Mr. Lockwood gave valuable
assistance to the Metropolitan Museum
in making up their exhibitions ; he has
personally one of the largest private col-
lections of American furniture and Amer-
ican silver and needle work and textiles
in the country. Mr. Lockwood is a mem-
ber of the Municipal Art Commission of
New York ; a trustee of the Brooklyn In-
stitute of Arts and Sciences ; an honor-
ary fellow of the Metropolitan Museum
of Art ; a life member of the National
Arts Club of New York. Socially, Mr.
Lockwood is a member of the Field Club ;
the Riverside Marine and Field Club, of
Greenwich ; the Century and University
clubs of New York ; the Twentieth Cen-
tury and Rembrandt clubs of Brooklyn ;
he is an executive member of the Wal-
25
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
pole Society, member of the Society of
Colonial Wars, and of the fraternities,
Alpha Delta Phi and Phi Beta Kappa.
Through the entire war he served as
chairman of Local Board, No. 15, Fair-
field county, Connecticut.
On November 16, 1897, Mr. Lockwood
married Alice Gardner Burnell, daughter
of Calvin J. Burnell, of Hartford. They
are the parents of two children, Luke Bur-
nell, born 1901, and Jane, born 1904.
LOCKWOOD, Capt. Nelson Uriah,
Man of Varied Activities.
High on the list of Stamford's citizens
stands the name of Captain Lockwood.
In his early manhood Captain Lockwood
was actively identified with the oyster
business, and later devoted some years to
agricultural pursuits. Since becoming a
resident of Stamford he has taken a help-
ful and public-spirited interest in all that
makes for the truest welfare of his com-
munity.
(VIII) Nelson Uriah Lockwood was
born October 14, 185 1, in Greenwich, and
is a son of Captain Henry Smith and
Sarah Elizabeth (White) Lockwood (q.
v.), and a brother of Captain Elbert F.
Lockwood, who is represented in this
work by a biography which follows.
The education of Captain Lockwood
was obtained in the public schools of
Greenwich and at the old Greenwich
Academy. After completing his course
of study he served for about a year as
clerk in a dry goods store, and was then
associated with his father in the latter's
oyster business. Thenceforth he "fol-
lowed the water" for a number of years,
becoming a captain at the age of twenty-
five years. About 1884 Captain Lock-
wood was compelled by impaired health
to abandon a seafaring life. He had then
been for some vear associated in the
oyster business with his brother, Cap-
tain Elbert F. Lockwood, and on with-
drawing from that he turned his atten-
tion to farming, purchasing some land
in Greenwich. At the same time he con-
ducted a small wholesale and retail oys-
ter business on his own account. In 191 1
he sold the farm and moved to Stamford,
where he has since resided.
On moving to Stamford, Captain Lock-
wood withdrew from active business life.
He was one of the charter members of
the Greenwich Farmers' Club, and for
three years served as its vice-president.
He and his wife are members of the
Congregational church of Stamford, of
which he has been a deacon, and he is
also a teacher in the young men's class of
the Sunday school. While a resident of
Stanwich, in the town of Greenwich, he
served as deacon of the Congregational
church and also as superintendent of the
Sunday school. Captain Lockwood is in-
terested in work among the younger gen-
eration, and for several years was a mem-
ber of the religious work committee of
the Young Men's Christian Association.
He is active in the Boy Scout movement,
a member of Stamford Council of Boy
Scouts, and one of the committee of
Troop No. 2. Captain Lockwood has
chosen well those things to which he
gives his aid and support, for in the suc-
cess and perpetuation of such organiza-
tions, aiming toward the welfare of the
men of to-morrow, is the hope of Amer-
ican institutions and ideals.
Captain Lockwood married, June 8,
1875, Adeline, daughter of Samuel Wood-
hull and Sarah Louisa Hopkins, grand-
daughter of General Gilbert Hopkins.
The name of Hopkins occupies distin-
guished position throughout New Eng-
land's history. General Gilbert Hopkins
was for many years a major-general of
New York Militia, and was grand mar-
26
■
*yw i) j &,
■L
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
shal of the military services held in New
York City on the occasion of the death of
General Lafayette, also acting as grand
marshal of the parade held in celebration
of the bringing of Croton water into New
York City. He was a man of importance
and distinction of his day, and filled hon-
orable place in military and private life.
Captain and Mrs. Lockwood are the par-
ents of two daughters: Grace, married
Lewis Mead Close, of Stamford ; and
Sarah May, wife of William D. Rich, of
Woodbury, Connecticut, and mother of
two children: William Nelson, born
March 24, 1905 ; and Elberta Grace, born
September 8, 1908.
The career of Captain Lockwood has
been singularly well-rounded. He has
touched life at many points, moving in
different spheres of action and gaining
varied experiences. After years spent in
the activities of a seafaring life, and in
those of a business man and farmer, he
is now, in his retirement, doing all in his
power to further the best interests of his
community and lending his influence and
aid to those movements and institutions
which in his judgment bring enlighten-
ment and encourage loyalty to higher
standards of living.
LOCKWOOD, Capt. Elbert F.,
Business Man, Public Official.
As president of The Sea Coast Oyster
Company, Captain Lockwood is a figure
of prominence in the business world, his
position being rendered more command-
ing by his office of shell fish commis-
sioner, to which he had been recently
reappointed after having held it for sev-
eral years. Notwithstanding his exten-
sive business connections and their heavy
responsibilities, Captain Lockwood is
always faithful to the duties of citizenship
and has never been found lacking in a
laudable degree of public spirit.
(VIII) Captain Elbert F. Lockwood,
son of Captain Henry Smith and Sarah
Elizabeth (White) Lockwood (q. v.), was
born October 16, 1853, in Greenwich, Con-
necticut. He received his education in
the public schools of his native town and
at the Greenwich Academy. Then, at the
age of seventeen, he became associated
with his father and brother, Nelson U.,
in the oyster business under the firm
name of H. S. Lockwood & Sons. During
the following three years he assisted his
father in the running of the boat and then,
on reaching his twentieth year, was given
charge of it. On attaining his majority
he took out his master's license and sailed
until 1882, when the firm built a steamer,
the first ever used in the oyster business
in Connecticut. About a year after they
sold the boat to H. C. Rowe, of New
Haven. Captain Lockwood and his
brother took over the business from their
father, who retired to the enjoyment of a
period of well-earned leisure, and the firm
name was changed to Lockwood Broth-
ers. After a time Captain Lockwood pur-
chased his brother's interest and carried
on the business under his own name,
Elbert F. Lockwood. On becoming sole
owner of the concern he began buying
land for oyster beds, and conducted his
business transactions by wholesale and
on a very extensive scale. After the lapse
of a few years, Captain Lockwood and
Alden Solomon, of South Norwalk, com-
bined their oyster interests under the
name of the Standard Oyster Company,
Mr. Solomon holding the office of presi-
dent and Captain Lockwood that of vice-
president, combining with it the duties
of treasurer. A few years later they sold
out and Captain Lockwood retired from
business.
27
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
It is not easy, however, for a man of
Captain Lockwood's mental and physical
vigor to remain for a long time without
a definite occupation, and at the end of
ten years he reentered the business arena,
signalizing the event by the purchase of
the Andrew Radell oyster plant at Rock-
away, Long Island. Later he bought
sixty acres at Mattituck, Long Island, and
three hundred and fifty acres at Port Jef-
ferson, the property of the Sewasset
Oyster Company. Still later he became
by purchase the owner of the Seal-shipped
Oyster Company at Cape Cod, Massa-
chusetts, taking as an associate Frank
W. Rowley, of New Haven. The busi-
ness was conducted under the name of
The Cape Cod Oyster Farms Company,
with headquarters at Wellfleet, Massachu-
setts. On July i, 1919, Captain Lockwood
bought out the firm of Smith Brothers,
of New Haven, adding to this the pur-
chase of the interests of the F. G. Lane
Company, of the same city, whose oyster
beds were situated at New Haven and
Milford, Connecticut ; also at Newport,
Rhode Island. These various purchases
gave to Captain Lockwood and his asso-
ciates four thousand five hundred acres
of oyster beds, the largest plant in New
England. Their equipment consists of the
latest and most modern appliances for
handling oysters from the time the seed
oysters are planted until the grown oyster
is shipped to the consumer.
On July 1, 1919, all these properties
were combined and incorporated under
the name of The Sea Coast Oyster Com-
pany, Captain Lockwood holding the of-
fice of president of the amalgamated or-
ganization. The company ships its
products packed in barrels from Cape
Cod to Canada and to all other parts of
its extensive territory. From Wickford
it ships oysters, both opened and in bar-
rels. The other plants are used as feeders
to the Wellfleet and Wickford establish-
ments. They also sell seed oysters to
planters all along the coast. During the
oyster season they employ a large num-
ber of men. In 1915, in association with
Charles W. Raymond, Captain Lockwood
founded the firm of Lockwood & Ray-
mond, purchasing oyster beds in Stam-
ford and near Oyster Bay, Long Island.
They now have about five hundred acres.
In 19 1 5 Captain Lockwood was appointed
by Governor "Holcomb to the office of
shell fish commissioner, and on July 1,
1919, was reappointed. The tribute to
Captain Lockwood's exceptional quali-
fications for the office which the appoint-
ment implied was richly merited as the
fact of its renewal most conclusively
proved.
Captain Lockwood married (first) June
8, 1892, Emma Frances Peck, daughter of
George A. and Eliza (Valentine) Peck,
of Greenwich, the former a representative
of a well known family of English origin.
Mrs. Lockwood died September 15, 1909.
Captain Lockwood married (second)
June 30, 1910, Jennie Mead, widow of
Frederick Mead, and daughter of Rich-
ard and Elizabeth (Hawes) Cox, of
Greenwich.
The home of Captain Lockwood at
Coscob, Connecticut, which he built about
twelve years ago, and which is a beautiful
house in the English style of architecture,
is in one respect truly unique. The .foun-
dation consists of a solid rock out of
which the cellar was blasted. On this
sure basis, provided by Nature, he has
reared the fabric of a charming structure.
Captain Elbert F. Lockwood is a rep-
resentative of a family the history of
which is inextricably interwoven with
the narrative of the development and
progress of New England, and more es-
pecially, of Connecticut. As the acknowl-
edged head of one of New England's
28
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
leading industries he has faithfully main-
tained his ancestral traditions, not only
in the upbuilding of his own fortunes, but
in rendering valuable public service and
in advancing the welfare and prosperity
of large numbers of his fellowmen.
LOCK WOOD, Fred E.,
Merchant.
For many years Fred E. Lockwood
stood in the public eye in Norwalk as a
merchant, and the record of progressive,
straightforward dealing that stands in his
name is one of the highest tributes to his
memory. Not alone as a man of affairs
and as a public-spirited citizen, willing
and diligent in his efforts to advance the
general good, is Mr. Lockwood remem-
bered, but for his work in fraternal orders
and his sponsorship of the cause of good
sportsmanship in its broadest sense. This
memorial to his life and work, among
those of the men who were his daily as-
sociates, is dedicated in recognition of the
high ideals that guided his daily walk.
Charles W. Lockwood, father of Fred
E. Lockwood, was born in Norwalk, Con-
necticut. He was educated in the public
schools. He learned the trade of carriage
trimmer and followed this occupation for
some years. Later an opportunity to buy
a gravel and roofing business offered bet-
ter advantages and Mr. Lockwood bought
this business, in which he was very suc-
cessful, and for many years he was the
leading man in that line in his section.
After selling his interests in the roofing
business, he purchased a fish market from
Charles Scofield, which was located on
Wall street, about fifty feet east of the
cigar store which is now opposite the foot
of Main street (1921). Until his retire-
ment from active business duties Mr.
Lockwood was engaged in carrying on
the fish market, and sold it when he re-
tired. Mr. Lockwood was a staunch
Republican, and took a keen interest in
all matters of public welfare. On several
occasions he was asked to be a candidate
for public office, which he always de-
clined, preferring to serve his party and
the interests of his community in the role
of a private citizen.
Mr. Lockwood married Jane Capstick,
a daughter of Miles Capstick. The latter
was a native of Scotland, but his daughter
was born in Norwalk. Mr. and Mrs.
Lockwood were the parents of the follow-
ing children : Fred E., of further mention ;
William F., a resident of Norwalk ;
George, of the firm of F. E. Lockwood &
Company, of Norwalk; Minnie L., wife
of Charles Betts, 'of Norwalk; Edward,
of Norwalk.
Fred E. Lockwood was born June 4,
1855, in Norwalk, Connecticut. He at-
tended the public schools there. After
completing his schooling, he secured em-
ployment in the dry goods store of John
F. Bennett, where he remained for almost
five years. Following this period Mr
Lockwood was in the employ of several
concerns in the capacity of salesman on
the road. While traveling in this way
he became identified with the Singer Sew-
ing Machine Company, first as salesman
and later as manager of their Norwalk
office. His service covered a period of
eighteen years, Mr. Lockwood resigning
in 1884 to enter the employ of the Sho-
ninger Piano Company. In 1894 he
established in business, independently,
selling and repairing bicycles, also deal-
ing in sewing machines and musical in-
struments. As the automobile business
became more flourishing, Mr. Lockwood
was quick to see the opportunities af-
forded in the repairing line and he was
the pioneer repairman and auto dealer in
Norwalk. At first he handled the Olds-
mobile, and later had the agency for the
Cadillac, Kissel and Hubmobile cars, and
the Kissel and Mack trucks. In addition
29
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
he maintained a store in which was car-
ried a general line of auto supplies and
sporting goods, in connection with this a
large service station and garage. His
brother, George Lockwood, was in part-
nership with him, and the business was
conducted under the firm name of F. E.
Lockwood & Company. Mr. Lockwood
met with well deserved success in his
business, the result of intelligently ap-
plied effort and a keen initiative. He was
a Republican in politics, and active in
municipal affairs though not a seeker for
political preferment.
Mr. Lockwood was interested in mili-
tary affairs at the time of the formation of
the old Lockwood Rifles of the Connecti-
cut National Guard, and was an original
member and officer of the company. He
was a prominent member of the old Nor-
walk Gun Club, and was long considered
one of the best shots in the town. He
was also a devotee of rod and reel, and
it had been his custom for some years to
offer a prize to the sportsman bringing in
the largest trout of the season. He was
a member of Our Brothers Lodge, Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows ; St. John's
Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons ; and
was also a member of the Roxbury Club,
the Phoenix Engine Company, and the
Norwalk Boat Club. His associates in
these organizations felt in his death the
loss of a man whose life exemplified fra-
ternity and loyalty, and who possessed
many commendable virtues in a manly
personality.
Fred E. Lockwood married Laura Ar-
nold, daughter of Theodore and Laura
Arnold, who survives him. His death
occurred January 25, 1921.
MEAD FAMILY,
Ancestral History.
The founders of our civilization, com-
ing to the shores of the New World while
yet that world was a wilderness, brought
with them something of far greater value
than the material possessions which they
left behind ; greater even than the de-
cadent principles and institutions which
they had foresworn. They brought the
spirit of independence which supported
them through all the hardships of pio-
neer life, and which has been transmitted
from generation to generation, making
their descendants of the present day lead-
ers among men, upholding and cherishing
that which their forebears created, and
sustaining the National progress which
received its first impulse from these early
pioneers. The Mead family, in the early
part of the seventeenth century, came to
New England and established the name
which has become significant of high at-
tainment.
The surname Mead is of undoubted
English origin. The various forms now
in use have been derived from the root,
"Ate Med," and have been handed down
through very many generations from
ancient times. The name clearly origi-
nated in the location of the home of this
family on the mead, or meadow.
The Connecticut Meads are descended
from one, William Mead, who is believed
to have been a brother of Gabriel Mead,
the immigrant ancestor of the Massachu-
setts family. Probably these two broth-
ers, with their families, sailed from Lydd,
Count)' Kent, England, in the good ship,
"Elizabeth," in April, 1635.
(I) William Mead was born in Eng-
land, about 1600. He was married, about
1625, and died in Stamford, Connecticut,
about 1663. He was a man of great fear-
lessness of spirit, perhaps not as out-
spoken as some men of that day, but
holding fast to the principles which he
believed to be right, and willing, for their
sake, to face the unknown. He was a
man of uncompromising attitude, never
30
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
satisfied short of the utmost possibility.
He came to the Massachusetts Colony in
the summer of 1635, then pressed farther
inland, and settled in Wethersfield, Con-
necticut. Later he removed to Stamford,
Connecticut, and was granted land there
on December 7, 1641. His wife's death
is recorded on September 19, 1657.
(II) John Mead, son of William Mead,
was born in England, about 1634, and
died February 5, 1699. He married, about
1657, Hannah Potter, daughter of Wil-
liam Potter. John Mead was at one time
in Hempstead, Long Island, removed to
Old Greenwich, now Sound Beach, in
1660, then became one of the original pro-
prietors of Horse Neck (Greenwich), in
1672. He was a very broad-minded, pub-
lic-spirited man, and did much for the
wellbeing of the little community. He
was made a freeman in 1670, and took a
prominent part in all the public affairs of
the section. He served as a member of
the General Assembly in 1679, 1680 and
1686.
(III) John (2) Mead, son of John (1)
and Hannah (Potter) Mead, lived in
Stamford, Connecticut, and also in Hemp-
stead, Long Island. Later he located
permanently in Horse Neck. He mar-
ried, in 167 1, Ruth Hardy, daughter of
Richard Hardy. The second John Mead
was, like his father, a man interested and
active in the public good, bearing his
share in the responsibilities of the com-
munity. He served in different offices,
and was constable in 1682.
(IV) Samuel Mead, son of John (2)
and Ruth (Hardy) Mead, was born about
1673, and died in 1713, in the prime of
life. He married, in 1695, and his wife's
Christian name was Hannah. One of the
most regrettable things about this period
of Colonial history is that the records of
the growth and development of the colo-
nies are so very meager. In those days
men were scarcely aware of the meaning
to posterity of the constructive work they
were doing. To them it was largely a
daily grind, hallowed only by those ideals
of which they were so steadfastly ten-
acious, and the cost, many times, in peace
as well as in war was a sad shortening of
useful lives.
(V) Peter Mead, son of Samuel and
Hannah Mead, was born October 2, 1700.
He married, July 29, 1744, Hannah Mead,
daughter of Benjamin Mead.
(VI) Peter (2) Mead, son of Peter (1)
and Hannah (Mead) Mead, was born
January 14, 1755, and died December 20,
1832. He married, November 19, 1777,
Hannah Close, daughter of Samuel and
Deborah (Mead) Close, born March 14,
1756, died November 5, 1824.
(VII) Lucknor Mead, son of Peter (2)
and Hannah (Close) Mead, was born
May 17, 1793, and died January 6, 1846.
He married, February 14, 1814, Sophia
Fletcher, who was born October 4, 1794.
and died April 24, 1852. He was a pros-
perous, ambitious man, and brought up
his children in the habits of thrift and in-
dustry.
(VIII) Captain Benjamin C. Mead,
son of Lucknor and Sophia (Fletcher)
Mead, was born in Greenwich, Connec-
ticut, 1817, and died in 1879. He was
only fourteen years old when he began
"following the water." The public pros-
perity had reached a point where advan-
tages of commercial communications be-
tween various sections had become a mat-
ter of established fact. This was in the
days before the railways made transpor-
tation rapid, safe, and low enough in
cost to compete successfully with sailing
craft. Benjamin C. Mead, with the spirit
of his forebears strong in him, set out to
make his own future in the coastwise
trade. He began on a packet running be-
tween Bridgeport and New York, loaded
31
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
with produce from the Connecticut farms.
Good-tempered, hard-working, possessed
of excellent judgment and the ability to
command, he rose rapidly, and was only
twenty years old when he became cap-
tain of a vessel. The business was very
profitable, with no competition, and he
invested his savings to such good ad-
vantage that at one time he owned two
schooners. He always remained in the
coastwise trade, following the seafaring
life up to within a short time before his
death.
Captain Benjamin C. Mead married
Mary E. Ritch, daughter of Ralph and
Clemence (Mead) Ritch (see Ritch VI).
They were the parents of eight children.
(The Ritch Line).
(I) Henry Ritch, the earliest ancestor
of this family of whom there is record in
this section of Connecticut, bought land
of Caleb Webb in Stamford in 1681. In
1685 he sold this land and removed to
Greenwich. Here he was granted three
acres of land, May 19, 1686. He died in
the latter part of the year 1710. He mar-
ried (first) October 21, 1680, Martha Pen-
oyer, daughter of Robert Penoyer. The
Christian name of his second wife was
Sarah.
(II) Thomas Ritch, son of Henry
Ritch, was born about 1682, and prob-
ably spent his entire life in the same
neighborhood. His wife's Christian name
was Ruth.
(III) John Ritch, son of Thomas and
Ruth Ritch, was born May 4, 17 18. He
married, February 17, 1741, Jemima
Holmes.
(IV) James Ritch, son of John and
Jemima (Holmes) Ritch, was born June
8, 1763. He married (first) Mary Ann
Lockwood, born April 15, 1763. Married
(second) Mary Whelpley, born October
18, 1774.
(V) Ralph Ritch, son of James and
Mary (Whelpley) Ritch, was born March
9, 1798, and died December 28, 1846. He
was the seventh child. He married, De-
cember 5, 1819, Clemence Mead, born De-
cember 25, 1797, died March 27, 1867,
daughter of Matthew and Nancy (Hob-
by) Mead.
(VI) Mary E. Ritch, daughter of Ralph
and Clemence (Mead) Ritch, married Cap-
tain Benjamin C. Mead (see Mead VIII).
MEAD, Benjamin Heath,
Attorney-at-Law.
There was never a time in the history
of our Nation when there was more im-
perative need of sane, wholesome man-
hood in public life. The country needs
men who do not fear to be leaders, men
who are able to apply in a practical way
the deductions which business or profes-
sional life has taught them to the health
and upbuilding of the body politic. The
communities which can command this
loyal service are taking front rank in the
march of progress. The city of Stamford,
Connecticut, counts among these men the
name of Benjamin Heath Mead, whose
ancestors have borne their share in the
founding and development of the city.
(IX) Benjamin Penfield Mead, son of
Captain Benjamin C. and Mary E. (Ritch)
Mead (q. v.), was born in Bridgeport,
Connecticut, September 23, 1848. He
was only an infant when his parents, who
had theretofore lived in Greenwich, re-
turned to that town. He attended the pub-
lic schools, and then completed his edu-
cation in the Greenwich Academy. He
spent his early years with his father on
shipboard. But a seafaring life did not
appeal to him from a business viewpoint,
and about the time he became of age he
went to New York and entered the em-
ploy of Davis & Benson, wholesale flour
32
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
merchants. He found business life con-
genial, but after several years with this
firm became anxious to branch out for
himself. Going to New Canaan, Connec-
ticut, he formed a partnership with James
W. Burtes, and they embarked in the gro-
cery business. They were very success-
ful, and this partnership was continued
until a short time before Mr. Mead's
death. Mr. Mead was an active member
of the firm, a first class business man.
He also became interested in local real
estate. He had great faith in the future
prosperity and progress of the town of
New Canaan, and put heart and soul into
its development, with the result that
those who knew can recognize his hand
in many of the most desirable features of
the town. He helped to found the New
Canaan Public Library, and the free read-
ing room connected with it. He recog-
nized the fact that the security of our
Government and her future position
among the nations of the world rests
largely on the intelligence of her citizens.
The library thus started in a humble way
has grown to be one of the important in-
stitutions of the town. The memory of
his work in connection with it, and the
great heart and broad sympathies of the
man, will long keep alive the impulse he
gave it at the start. He was one of the
founders of the New Canaan Fire Com-
pany, also founded the New Canaan Wa-
ter Company with others.
Mr. Mead was a Republican in political
affiliation, and it was but natural that his
party should place a man of his calibre
in positions of responsibility. He was
repeatedly elected to public office. He
held every office in the town government,
from selectman to auditor. He served as
first selectman for eight or ten consecu-
tive years, and was representative to the
Legislature for three terms — 1885, ^87
and 1889. He also served in the State
Conn— 8— 3
Senate for two years, being elected by the
Twelfth District. During his legislative
career he served on the membership com-
mittee, the school fund, was chairman of
the fish and game committee, and served
on the senatorial, charities, and cities and
boroughs committees. He was state con-
troller for two consecutive terms. When
he was elected controller the second time,
he was the only man on the Republican
ticket to be elected. He also served for
a time as state auditor. Although he was
a candidate for public office upwards of
thirty times, he was never once defeated.
Benjamin Penfield Mead married Flor-
ence Heath, daughter of Benjamin Heath,
of New Canaan, born in 1857. Of their
children four grew to maturity ; Benja-
min Heath, of whom extended mention
will follow; Harold H., born November
25, 1888; Stanley Penfield, born in 1890,
who was graduated from Yale Univer-
sity, Bachelor of Arts, and from Yale
Law School, Bachelor of Laws, now a
member of the firm of Bartram & Mead ;
Florence Louise, born December 26, 1893.
The family have always been active in
the work of the Congregational church,
Mr. Mead having been until his death a
trustee of the society, and his wife prom-
inent in the work of the women's organ-
izations connected with the church. The
passing away of Mr. Mead was looked
upon as a public loss, and his many
friends united with his family in paying
respect to his memory.
(X) Benjamin Heath Mead, the eldest
child of Benjamin Penfield and Florence
(Heath) Mead, was born in New Can-
aan, Connecticut, March 27, 1887. As a
boy, he was an active, whole-souled fel-
low, going into study and sports alike
with the vim and eagerness characteris-
tic of his family. He was educated in
King's private school, Stamford, and long
before his graduation from that institu-
33
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
tion had mapped out his future. He en-
tered Yale University and was gradu-
ated in 1906 with the degree of Bachelor
of Arts. He then entered Yale Law
School and was graduated in 1908 with
the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He was
admitted to the bar the same year, and
practiced with his uncle, the Hon. James
R. Mead, of Greenwich, a review of whose
life appears in this work, remaining with
him for about one year. Advantageous
as this arrangement was, Mr. Mead fol-
lowed the traditions of the family in strik-
ing out for himself. In 1909 he formed a
partnership with Floyd B. Bartram, a
sketch of whose life also appears in this
work. The firm name became Bartram &
Mead, and while it is one of the younger
law firms in this section these progres-
sive young men have already won an en-
viable position in their profession. While
Mr. Mead was still in college he was cap-
tain of the Yale Military Company, and
during the recent World War he devoted
every possible resource and a very large
share of his time to the forwarding of
every public movement in support of the
American Expeditionary Force. He was
captain of a team on each of the Liberty
Loan drives, was secretary of the Salva-
tion Army Drive, and the law office of
Bartram & Mead took care of all the cler-
ical work connected therewith. Mr. Mead
also worked on all the Red Cross drives.
Socially, he is much sought. He is
a member of the Beta Theta Pi; of
Wooster Lodge, No. 37, Independent Or-
der of Odd Fellows ; of Union Lodge, No.
5, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.
He is serving his second year as presi-
dent of the Stamford Kiwanis Club, and
is a member of the Suburban Club.
Mr. Mead married Ivy St. John Corn-
stock, daughter of Frank L. and Esther
Elizabeth Comstock, and they are the
parents of four children : Benjamin
Heath, Jr., Esther Elizabeth and Flor-
ence Louise, twin daughters, and Faith
Bickford. Mr. and Mrs. Mead are active
members of the Congregational church,
where Mr. Mead has served as trustee and
assistant superintendent of the Sunday
school. He is now president of the
Young People's Society.
It takes no prophet to foresee for Mr.
Mead a future which shall make a mark
on the history of the city and the State.
He is a Republican in political affilia-
tim, and has served on the Town Com-
nvttee and on the Board of Finance of
X»-w Canaan, and on the Town Highway
Commission. He was nominated for Sen-
ator from the district, but was defeated
by the Progressive party, which split the
normal Republican vote. He has taken
the stump with good effect for the party
in several political campaigns.
MEAD, Hon. James R.,
Lawyer, Jurist.
In public life to serve is the greatest
honor. The man who has given most of
the depths of his experience, of the
breadth of his sympathies, or the strength
of his spirit, this is the man to whom the
world, often all unwittingly, yields the
tribute of confidence. That this tribute
carries with its burdens and responsibili-
ties makes it no less an honor, but it is
rarely bestowed where it is undeserved.
With such a man as the Hon. James R.
Mead, of Greenwich, Connecticut, it is
not difficult to understand why the people
place in him the confidence which a child
feels in his father, or a man in a leader
who has proven his capability under
stress of adverse circumstances. Judge
Mead has won and held the confidence of
the people during all the years in which
he has been a member of the Fairfield
county bar.
34
/\J4AAJUju^
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
(IX) Hon. James R. Mead, the eminent
attorney and judge of Greenwich, Con-
necticut, son of Captain Benjamin C. and
Mary E. (Ritch) Mead (q. v.), was born
in the town of Greenwich, Connecticut,
August 28, i860. He received his elemen-
tary education in the public schools of
his native town, and later attended the
Greenwich Academy. He was a devoted
and thorough student, loving research for
its own sake as well as for the purpose
it served in forwarding his life ambition.
He entered the law office of Colonel H.
W. R. Hoyt, of Greenwich, and after
studying under his able preceptorship was
admitted to the bar, May 19, 1882. From
the first he showed promise of the re-
markable power which he developed in
later life. He remained with Colonel
Hoyt for three years longer, then opened
an office of his own in Greenwich. He
has carried on for the greater part a gen-
eral law practice, but has handled some
very interesting and celebrated cases.
The services of a man of this calibre
could not be overlooked by that public
which needs men. Judge Mead has al-
ways been affiliated with the Republican
party, and the party needed him. Not
only did the party need him, the city and
State needed him, for he was not a man
to subserve the good of the public to the
interests of the party. He was first
elected town clerk, in 1886, and held the
office continuously for seventeen years.
He was assistant prosecuting attorney of
the Borough Court for ten years. In June,
1889, he was elected deputy judge of the
Borough Court, which office he held for
two years ; he served for two years as
warden of the borough of Greenwich, and
was for four years its borough attorney,
and for six years a member of the Board
of Burgesses of the borough of Green-
wich ; then was elected to the State Leg-
islature and served in the session of 1903.
He served as house chairman of the in-
surance committee; was member of the
committee on congressional and sena-
torial districts. In 191 5 he was elected
to the State Senate and reelected in 1917.
He served as chairman at both sessions
of the Senate committee on cities and
boroughs. He was again reelected in
1919, and was made Senate chairman of
the committee on appropriations. He is
chairman of the committee appointed by
the last Legislature to frame a new ad-
ministration code. He has been delegate
to many party conventions, and has
served his party on the stump in many
important and closely contested cam-
paigns. In the public institutions of the
town of Greenwich, Judge Mead has al-
ways held positions of dignity and re-
sponsibility. He is a director of the
Greenwich National Bank, and president
of the Greenwich Water Company. He
is president of the Putnam Cemetery As-
sociation, and of the New Canaan Water
Company.
Judge Mead married Elizabeth M.
Stone, daughter of Thomas Stone, of
Brooklyn, New York. They have long
attended and supported the Congrega-
tional church.
MEAD, Charles,
Member of Important Family.
The best asset in a community is its
strong men, men of honor and integrity.
These men leave a definite impression
upon the public, the professional and in-
dustrial life of a city. They prove the
truth of the assertion that "The world
today is what the men of the last gener-
ation have made it." Closely interwoven
with the history of Fairfield county is the
history of the Mead family. Members of
this family have been settled there since
35
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
a very early date, and they have taken a
vital interest in all of its affairs.
(III) Ebenezer Mead, son of John and
Hannah (Potter) Mead (q. v.), was born
in 1663, and died in 1728. He married,
in 1691, Sarah Knapp, of Stamford, Con-
necticut.
(IV) Ebenezer (2) Mead, son of Eben-
ezer (1) and Sarah (Knapp) Mead, was
born October 25, 1692, and died May 3,
1775. He married, December 12, 1717,
Hannah Brown, of Rye, New York.
(V) Jonas Mead, son of Ebenezer (2)
and Hannah (Brown) Mead, was born
December 25, 1723, and died September
14, 1783. He married Sarah Howe,
daughter of Captain Isaac Howe, born
January 9, 1741, died December 8, 1779.
(VI) Deacon Jonas (2) Mead, son of
Jonas (1) and Sarah (Howe) Mead, was
born April 13, 17 — , and died August 2,
1871. He married, January 2, 1809, Han-
nah Hebbard, daughter of Nathaniel Heb-
bard, who died March 12, 1814.
(VII) Deacon Charles Mead, son of
Deacon Jonas (2) and Hannah (Hebbard)
Mead, was born February 4, 1812, and
died January 10, 1898. He was educated
in Greenwich, Connecticut, and the work
of farming occupied the greater part of
his life. In his youth he was a member
of the Train Band. He married, Decem-
ber 31, 1831, Rachel Elizabeth Sackett
(see Sackett VIII).
Mr. and Mrs. Mead were the parents of
the following children : Sarah A., wife of
Benjamin P. Brush ; Whitman Sackett,
whose sketch follows ; Mary E., wife of
Zophar Mead ; Hannah H., born Septem-
ber 2, 185 1 ; Charles Noah, whose sketch
follows.
(The Sackett Line).
(I) Simon Sackett, the first of the fam-
ily in New England, died in October,
1635. He came to New England in the
ship "Lyon" in 1630, and was among the
first settlers of Newton, now Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
(II) Simon (2) Sackett, son of Simon
(1) Sackett, was born in 1630, and was
but an infant when his parents brought
him to America. He died in 1659. He
married, in 1652, Sarah Bloomfield,
daughter of William and Sarah Bloom-
field.
(III) Captain Joseph Sackett, son of
Simon (2) and Sarah (Bloomfield) Sack-
ett, was born in Springfield, Massachu-
setts, February 23, 1656, and died July 23,
1719. He lived in Newton, Long Island,
and held many public offices. He was a
member of the Presbyterian church. He
married Elizabeth Betts, daughter of Cap-
tain Richard Betts.
(IV) Rev. Richard Sackett, son of
Captain Joseph and Elizabeth (Betts)
Sackett, was born about 1686, and died
May 8, 1737. In 1709 he was graduated
from Yale College, where he had studied
for the ministry. In 171 1 he was the
preacher in Maidenhead and Hopewell,
New Jersey, and the following year was
in Saybrook. In 1714 he was in Green-
wich, Connecticut, preaching, and two
years later in that part of Greenwich
called Horse Neck. In 1717 a new church
was formed there of which he was or-
dained the pastor. He labored diligently
among his flock and was greatly beloved.
He died May 9, 1727.
(V) Hon. Nathaniel Sackett, son of
Rev. Richard Sackett, was born June 8,
1720, and died before 1768. About 1739
he married Anne Bush, daughter of Justus
Bush, Jr., who died about 1746. For some
years Mr. Sackett lived in New York City,
where he was in business. He was a
member of Captain Van Home's military
company; in 1753 ne established his per-
manent home in Greenwich, Connecticut.
In 1756 he was representative, also in
36
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
1760; and from 1757 to 1760 he served
as justice of the peace.
(VI) Justus Sackett, son of Hon. Na-
thaniel and Anne (Bush) Sackett, was
born in 1740, and died January 15, 1827.
Pie married Anna Lyon.
(VII) John Sackett, son of Justus and
Anna (Lyon) Sackett, was married, Jan-
uary 12, 1809, to Mary Mead, daughter of
Whitman and Rachel Mead. He died in
1864.
(VIII) Rachel Elizabeth Sackett, the
daughter of John and Mary (Mead)
Sackett, was born December 19, 181 1,
died July 18, 1885. She became the wife
of Deacon Charles Mead (see Mead VII).
MEAD, Whitman Sackett,
Public-spirited Citizen.
Whitman S. Mead, son of Deacon
Charles and Rachel Elizabeth (Sackett)
Mead (q.v.), was born April 17, 1841, in
Byram, on the Byram river, Connecti-
cut, and was educated in the school at
Coscob and the Greenwich Academy of
Greenwich, Connecticut. At the age of
eighteen years he went to work for a
wholesale dry goods house in New York
City, where he continued until the out-
break of the Civil War. The members of
this firm being Southerners, they natu-
rally returned to the South and at the
same time Mr. Mead returned to his na-
tive home to care for his father's farm.
Since 1686 this homestead has been in
possession of the family. Business in-
terests soon engaged his attention and
practically all of his time were devoted
to them, although throughout his entire
life he managed the farm interests. Mr.
, Mead was a trustee of the Greenwich
Trust and Loan Company, and a director
of the Rippowam Woolen Manufactur-
ing Company. He was very active in
public matters ; his vote was cast for Ab-
raham Lincoln in i860, and he was a
staunch supporter of the principles of the
Republican party. Mr. Mead was hon-
ored with many positions of trust and re-
sponsibility ; he was registrar and select-
man, and was appointed in July, 1891,
county commissioner. In January, 1897,
he was appointed judge of probate. In
many ways he gave assistance to those
who needed it ; he gave of his time to the
public welfare and of his finances to those
charitable movements which brought hope
and many times sunshine to the less for-
tunate. He was held in the highest re-
spect, and at his death in 1914 was sin-
cerely mourned.
Mr. Mead married, February 9, 1871,
Sara Sackett, born September II, 1845,
daughter of J. Ralph and Mary E. (Mead)
Sackett, and this marriage was blessed
with four daughters. They were : Julia,
Clara, Helen and Marion.
MEAD, Charles Noah,
Merchant.
Charles Noah Mead, son of Deacon
Charles and Rachel Elizabeth (Sackett)
Mead (q.v.), was born in Greenwich,
Connecticut, February 25, 1854. The
Academy of Greenwich afforded him his
early education, and the intervals between
were spent in assisting his father about
the work of the homestead. Through this
outdoor exercise the young man devel-
oped a sound mind and healthy body, and
was well equipped to enter the business
world.
In partnership with Henry M. Brush,
the oldest dry goods business in Green-
wich was purchased in the early eighties.
For many years they carried on the busi-
ness under the firm name of Mead &
Brush. The interests of his partner were
subsequently purchased by Mr. Mead,
who continued to conduct it alone for
37
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
several years. With the natural growth
of the town and the growth needed in
business to compete with this, Mr. Mead
incorporated the business, since which
time he has acted as president. During
his many years in business Mr. Mead has
been distinguished for his high-minded
integrity, and all those who come in con-
tact with him admire his qualities. He
has rendered faithful and conscientious
service to his city and State. For many
years he has served as deacon of the Con-
gregational church of Greenwich, and is
the sixth in direct descent of his family
to hold this office. In the spring of 1919,
Mr. Mead put a new bell in the church
tower in memory of the ancestors who
had preceded him in the office of deacon.
MEAD, Oliver Deliverance.
Business Man.
The name of Mead is frequently found
on the pages of history of Fairfield county,
Connecticut. From the earliest settle-
ments in that colony the members of this
family have been prominent and are still
to-day upholding the prestige and honor-
able position which they have occupied
for generations.
(V) Jared Mead, son of Ebenezer (2)
and Hannah (Brown) Mead (q. v.), was
born December 15, 1738, died May 8,
1832. He married, December 10, 1775,
Lydia Smith, born December 8, 1754, died
January 27, 1824, daughter of Daniel
Smith.
(VI) Daniel Smith Mead, son of Jared
and Lydia (Smith) Mead, was born No-
vember 20, 1778, and died December 21,
1831. He married, January 16, 1806, Ra-
chel Mead, born September 2, 1779, died
January 10, 1859, daughter of Joshua
Mead.
(VII) Daniel Smith (2) Mead, son of
Daniel Smith (1) and Rachel (Mead)
Mead, was born in Greenwich, Connec-
ticut, on the site now occupied by the
undertaking rooms of Mr. Knapp, April
9, 181 1, and died in 1906. His educa-
tional opportunities were limited, but he
was a keen student of human nature and
was highly respected for his opinions.
He was a farmer, and in politics was
originally a Whig and later a Republican.
Mr. Mead was an exceptionally quiet,
home-loving man, and for many years a
member of the Congregational church.
He married, November 26, 1832, Huldah
Mead, daughter of Ephraim Mead, born
February 5, 1812, died October 27, 1882.
Their children were: Ophelia, married
William Long; Esther A., married Isaac
Mead; Daniel Smith (3); Oliver D., of
further mention.
(VIII) Oliver Deliverance Mead, son
of Daniel Smith (2) and Huldah (Mead)
Mead, was born in Greenwich, Connecti-
cut, December 29, 1842. He was brought
up on the home farm and remained there
until 1882, when he removed to his pres-
ent residence in Field Point Park, where
he continued farming. Later he organ-
ized the Field Point Land Company, of
which he has since been president, and
cut the farm up into house lots. In this
way one hundred and fifteen acres have
been developed into the most beautiful
residence sections of the State. Mr.
Mead was also president of the Green-
wich Niationa1 Bank for ten years. For
thirteen years he served in the State
Militia.
Mr. Mead married Cornelia Scofield,
daughter of William and Cornelia (Mead)
Scofield. Cornelia (Mead) Scofield was
born September 12, 1820, and died June
9, 1873. William Scofield, her husband,
was born September 29, 1816, and died
February 16, 1906. He was of Stamford.
He was a son of Rufus Scofield, who died
in Greenwich, July 28, 1854, aged sev-
38
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
enty-five years. He owned and ran for
some years a mill on the west side of the
Mianus river at Ccscob, Connecticut. Mr.
and Mrs. Mead were the parents of three
children : Cora A., married Adam Guy,
of Brooklyn, New York ; Olive May, mar-
ried Newell L. Mead ; Lydia Smith, mar-
ried William J. Ferris, a sketch of whom
appears elsewhere in this work. Mr.
Mead and his wife attend the Congrega-
tional church of Greenwich.
NASH, Paul,
Civil Engineer.
The story of America is a story of
workers. The big men of our nation,
from the beginning, have been men who
were not afraid to go out and take hold
of the real work of the world. They have
not despised the grime and exhaustion of
toil, and have given to labor a dignity
which it never before had received. Be-
cause this is true, America has become
a nation of achievement and the men who
belong to the great army of workers hold
a higher position than those who belong
to the aristocracies of old. Paul Nash,
the prominent civil engineer of Stamford,
is one of those men whose pride is his
work.
The name of Nash is of Saxon origin.
In the early times the prefix atte was
much used with the first surnames, as
Atte-Wood ; and for euphony an "n" was
often added. Such was the case with the
name "Atte-n-Ash." In the natural evo-
lution of the name, the prefix was gradu-
ally dropped, and the name became Nash.
In all probability the first bearer of the
name lived near an ash tree or an ash
wood.
(I) The earliest known ancestor of the
family, Edward Nash, was born in Lan-
caster, England, in August, 1592, in the
reign of Queen Elizabeth.
(II) Edward (2) Nash, son of Edward
(1) Nash, was born in Lancaster, Eng-
land, in 1623, and emigrated to America
in 1649 or I650. He resided in Stratford,
Connecticut, for two years, where his
daughter Anna was born January 18,
165 1. In 1652 he removed to Norwalk,
Connecticut, and there followed his occu-
pation of tanner near where Christ Epis-
copal Church now stands in East Nor-
walk. There was a stream of water there
which was used by Edward Nash in his
business of tanner. It is believed that he
was the first hearthstone occupant of the
town of Norwalk, and the early records
give no cause to doubt it. In 1690 he had
a large estate rated at £216, and unvary-
ing tradition says he lived to the age of
seventy-six years.
(III) John Nash, son of Edward (2)
Nash, was the first white male child born
in Norwalk, in 1652, and he died between
1712 and 1713. He was presented with
a piece of land on which now stands
Christ Episcopal Church in East Nor-
walk. John Nash married, May 1, 1684,
Mary, daughter of Thomas Barlow, of
Fairfield, whose widow Edward Nash had
previously married for his second wife.
Mrs. Mary Nash died September 2, 171 1.
(IV) John (2) Nash, son of John (1)
and Mary Nash, was born December 25,
1688. He married, May 19, 1709, Abigail
Blakeley, daughter of Ebenezer Blakeley,
of New Haven, Connecticut, and they
were the parents of ten children.
(V) Micajah Nash, son of John (2)
and Abigail (Blakeley) Nash, was born
in 1720. He married, October 9, 1744,
Mary Scribner, daughter of John and De-
borah (Lee) Scribner.
(VI) Daniel Nash, son of Micajah and
Mary (Scribner) Nash, was born Decem-
ber 2, 1747. He married Freelove Wright,
daughter of Dennis and Susannah
(Smith) Wright, April 24, 1768. He later
39
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
removed to Patchogue, Long Island,
where he had a saw mill and sawed lum-
ber for the soldiers in the Revolution.
(VII) Daniel (2) Nash, son of Daniel
(1) and Freelove (Wright) Nash, was
born May 12, 1770, in Patchogue, Long
Island. He married Rebecca Camp,
daughter of Jonathan and Hannah (Bou-
ton) Camp, of Norwalk, October 9, 1808.
Daniel Nash had a saw and grist mill on
the King's Highway. He died August
2, 1865.
(VIII) Andrew Camp Nash, son of
Daniel (2) and Rebecca (Camp) Nash,
was born June 4, 1811, and died July II,
1897. He was a farmer. On January 18,
1835, he married Eliza A. Adams, daugh-
ter of Jabez and Anna Adams.
(IX) Edward Adams Nash, son of
Andrew Camp and Eliza A. (Adams)
Nash, was born December 25, 1841. He
married Mary Edwards Morey, of Kent,
Connecticut, June 6, 1866, and their chil-
dren were : Edward Irving, born October
10, 1867; Anne Winifred, born March 13,
1869, who married W. J. Wood ; and Paul,
of whom further.
(X) Paul Nash, son of Edward Adams
and Mary Edwards (Morey) Nash, was
born December 3, 1870, in Westport, Con-
necticut. As a boy he showed interest
in any kind of construction work. He re-
ceived his early education in the public
schools of Westport, then the South Nor-
walk High School, from which he was
graduated in 1886, and Sheffield Scientific
School of Yale University in 1887, from
which institution he was graduated in
1890 with the degree of Bachelor of Phil-
osophy. He immediately struck out into
active work along his chosen line, work-
ing for two years in association with
W. B. Rider, civil engineer of Norwalk.
Then he entered the employ of the Yale
& Towne Manufacturing Company, with
whom he remained for six years. This
experience placed the young man where
he felt the confidence in himself which is
only to be won through actual handling
of practical problems in any line of work.
The opportunity offered, and in 1899 ne
became the city engineer of Stamford.
This is a position of more than usual re-
sponsibility, because it includes not only
the usual engineering work of the city,
but the work usually done by a contractor
of public works, since the policy of the
city of Stamford is to handle practically
all its own work along this line. This, of
course, involves the direction of large in-
terests and the employment of consider-
able labor. Mr. Nash has on an average
about one hundred men working under
him. He has been very successful in the
management of the interests placed in his
hands, being keen-witted and at the same
time judicious, showing acute discern-
ment and sound farsighted common sense
in the conservation and development of
the natural physical advantages and re-
sources of the city, so far as they have
come into his hands. In his twenty years
of service as an administrative officer of
the municipality, during which time its
population has more than doubled, many
substantial improvements and develop-
ments have been made in the various lines
of public work, assuring for the city of
Stamford a place with the really pro-
gressive cities of the country. Mr. Nash
is a member of the American Society of
Civil Engineers, also the Connecticut
Society and the Yale Engineering Soci-
ety ; also a member of Union Lodge, No.
5, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons;
the Suburban Club of Stamford ; the
Stamford Yacht Club.
Mr. Nash married, April 6, 1893, Anna
May Punzelt, daughter of James P. Pun-
zelt, of South Norwalk. They are the
parents of two children : Pauline, born
February 21, 1903; Edward Maynard,
40
*L
*~^%^CrtXS\UZL~ I , jr&SL^dL
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
born September 13, 1906. Mr. and Mrs.
Nash are members of St. John's Episco-
pal Church, of Stamford, of which Mr.
Nash is vestryman. The family are much
sought socially, and are among the thor-
oughly representative people of the city.
NASH, Edward Colt,
Business Man.
(VIII) Edward Hawks Nash, son of
Daniel (2) and Rebecca (Camp) Nash
(q. v.), was born August 6, 1809. He was
a miller and farmer and had a planing and
grist mill. He was a director of the West-
port Bank. He was ambitious, thrifty,
and gave much time to religious work.
With his brother, Andrew Camp Nash, he
gave the land and a large amount of
money which made possible the building
of new Christ Church and gave it an en-
dowment. On October 9, 1836, he mar-
ried (first) Abigail Gorham, and she died
January 16, 1861. He married (second)
September 17, 1861, Margaret Newkirk
Williams, daughter of Reuben and Ame-
lia Williams, and she died in 1871. Mrs.
Margaret Nash was a descendant of Wil-
liam Williams, who served in the Revolu-
tion under Captain Godfrey and Colonel
Dimon.
(IX) Lloyd Nash, son of Edward
Hawks and Margaret Newkirk (Wil-
liams) Nash, was born in Westport, Con-
necticut, February 18, 1865. He was
educated in the district schools, and sub-
sequently followed a course at a business
college. From an early age he proved
himself a very good mechanic, and al-
though but fifteen years old he was in
charge of the grist and cider mills on his
father's farm. He succeeded the latter in
the management of these in later years.
Mr. Nash added to the estates, and for
many years was among the most progres-
sive business men of Westport. He was
active in many outside matters, in indus-
trial affairs, and also in public affairs.
Mr. Nash was vice-president of the West-
port & Saugautuck Street Railway Com-
pany and also connected with the street
railroad lines in Petersburg, Virginia, of
which he was vice-president; he was also
second vice-president of the Franklin
Society of Home Building and Home Sav-
ings in New York.
In politics, Mr. Nash was a staunch
Republican ; on several occasions he was
honored with public office, and in every
instance he proved himself worthy of the
choice of his constituents. In 1900 he was
representative, during which time he
served on the committee on banks ; in
1902 he was elected State senator, and
was a member of the committee on Senate
appointments and contingent expenses.
During the session he served as chairman
of the committee on banks and the com-
mittee on woman suffrage. Mr. Nash and
his family attended the Episcopal church,
Westport, and for many years he served
as a vestryman of that church.
Mr. Nash married, April 6, 1885, Char-
lotte Flelen Colt, a native of Exeter, Ot-
sego county, New York. On her maternal
side, Mrs. Nash was descended from John
Pratt, who was settled in New England
in 1632. Mr. and Mrs. Nash were the
parents of four children, two of whom
survived. They are : Edward Colt, of
further mention ; Louise Helen, born
September 11, 1888, married W. Clark
Crossman, and resides in Westport, Con-
necticut. Mr. Nash died July 24, 1908.
(X) Edward Colt Nash, son of Lloyd
and Charlotte Helen (Colt) Nash, was
born February 14, 1887. He was educa-
ted in the public schools. When he was
about twelve years of age he was placed
in the Norwalk University and there spent
six years. Two years were then spent
at the Chase School for Boys in Bridge-
41
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
port, Connecticut, and two in the Pratt
Institute, Brooklyn, New York. On July
20, 1908, he graduated and took charge
of his father's estate. He had just then
taken up the ice business, which was pro-
duced on a pond on his own farm, which
contains about seventy-five acres. He
developed this business to double its
original amount, and conducts a large
wholesale as well as retail business, run-
ning seven auto trucks, covering a large
territory and employing about a dozen
men. Mr. Nash also carries on the cider
business, making a large quantity of vine-
gar. Since 191 1 he has also engaged in
the trucking business, having motors en-
gaged in long distance hauling.
In spite of the demands made on his
time by his business, Mr. Nash has taken
an active interest in military matters and
other public affairs. During the World
War he was a member of the State Guard,
and was captain of the Westport Com-
pany, disbanded in January, 1919. He
then joined the reserves, and in March,
1920, was assigned to Company I, 4th In-
fantry, Connecticut State Guard, of Nor-
walk, as captain ; was appointed major,
February 1, 1921.
Mr. Nash married Anna Barbara Ebel,
daughter of William G. Ebel, of Albany,
New York, and they are the parents of
four children : Harriet C, Anna Barbara,
Louise Helen, Lloyd William. Mr. Nash
and his family attend Christ Episcopal
Church, of which he is a vestryman.
WILKINS, Albert James,
Deceased.
The terminations, kin, kind, ling, let,
and so forth, have the same signification
as the Latin, genus, meaning race, off-
spring, or children. It is from the Ger-
man, kind (a child), the diminutive ter-
mination, kin, is derived, and thus we
have the names, Watkin, meaning the son
of Wat or Walter, and Wilkin, the son of
Will or William. In very early times the
Anglo-Saxons affixed this termination to
the father's name, and always we find the
"s" appended by the Welsh. The name
of Wilkins is Welsh.
Albert James Wilkins was born in
Utica, New York, January 19, 1848, son
of Luke and Elizabeth (Downs) Wilkins,
natives of Wales. Mr. Wilkins died in
Bridgeport, Connecticut, March 8, 1904.
He married, October 5, 1870, Eliza Anna
Nash, a scion of one of the oldest families
in Fairfield county (see Nash VIII). Mr.
and Mrs. Wilkins were the parents of a
daughter, Mary Amelia, born in May,
1872, died July 2, 1894.
RAYMOND, Thomas I.,
Prominent Business Man.
Active in business and general affairs
of his community at an age when most
men seek the rest and ease of retirement,
Thomas I. Raymond was called from his
busy life on May 8, 1920, in his seventy-
third year. The widespread sorrow that
was felt and the many expressions of re-
gard and sympathy that poured from all
quarters were the tribute of his fellows to
a life lived purposefully and well, to the
earnest endeavors of a man to perform his
duties as they appeared to him, and to
one who followed high ideals in every
relation of life.
The name of Raymond is of very an-
cient French origin. It is derived from
two French words, rai, signifying a beam
of light, and monde, meaning world. The
Latin word raimundus is its exact equiva-
lent. The history of the French family of
Raymond is intensely interesting, includ-
ing, as it does, a long line of Counts of
Toulouse. Several of them participated
in the Crusades, and in other ways they
42
^ JjJ,
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
played important roles in making the his-
tory of their times. It is said that in the
civilization and refinement of its people
the County of Toulouse and its indepen-
dent lordships early in the twelfth century
far surpassed all other parts of Gaul. Its
citizens enjoyed religious liberty and free-
dom of speech ; Jew, Christian, and infidel
lived side by side in mutual tolerance ;
and commerce, literature, the arts, and
sciences flourished under a form of gov-
ernment at least suggesting the repub-
lican. The Raymonds supported the
Albigenses, and suffered greatly during
the persecutions of that sect.
According to Lower, a leading author-
ity en the origin of surnames, Raymond
Berenger, who went down under the
sword of the first Simon de Montfort,
presumably in the Albigensian War, bore
one of the earliest double names. The
names of Stephen and Pierre Raymond
are found on the rolls of the first Knights
Hospitaler of the Order of St. John of
Jerusalem early in the twelfth century.
The persecutions of the Albigenses scat-
tered many of the Raymond families to
the surrounding countries, and some of
them went to England about the time of
the Conquest. Apparently they first set-
tled at a place called Raymond, in the
Hundred of Wye, in Kent. The Essex
families of the name claim descent from
the settlers in Kent.
(I) Richard Raymond, the immigrant
ancestor of the family here under consid-
eration, probably came from County Sus-
sex, England. This assumption is based
on the fact that he lived in the territory
included in the Captain John Mason
Colony and that the members of that
colony came from Sussex county. Rich-
ard Raymond was made a freeman in
Salem, Massachusetts, May 14, 1634. On
January 2, 1636, he was granted half an
acre of land at Winter Harbor (now Win-
ter Island in Salem Harbor) "for fishing
trade and to build upon." The same year
he received a grant of sixty acres at what
is now Manchester, Massachusetts. In
1660 he sold a one-fourth interest in "the
good Ketch called the Hopewell of Sa-
lem." On October 20, 1662, he bought a
house and lot in Norwalk, Connecticut,
and it is probable that he became a resi-
dent of Norwalk soon after his purchase.
Two years later he moved to Saybrook.
He called himself a mariner and engaged
in coastwise trade with the Dutch and
English settlers on Manhattan Island.
It is also said that he made voyages to
the Barbadoes. He and his wife, Judith,
were members of the First Church at
Salem before 1636, and all his children
but John were baptized there. In 1676
he gave by will all of his lands in Norwalk
"unto those children which my son, John
Raymond, allready have or may have, by
Mary Raymond, his present wife."
(II) John Raymond, son of Richard
and Judith Raymond, drew lot No. 21 in
a division of lots in the winter wheat field
made in Norwalk in 1668. He also re-
ceived a share of the common lands di-
vided in 1687. He married, December 10,
1664, Mary Betts, born in Guilford, in
1646, daughter of Thomas Betts, of Nor-
walk, who had only recently arrived in
the plantation. Thomas Betts was born
in England, in 1615-16. He was enrolled,
seventeenth in number, on the Guilford,
Connecticut, settlers-register. Accom-
panied by his wife, Mary, he came to Nor-
walk about 1660. His wife may possibly
have been married before her Betts union,
as in the will of Thomas Betts, Sr., exe-
cuted May 10, 1688, he refers to "her
children."
(III) John (2) Raymond, son of John
(1 ) and Mary (Betts) Raymond, was born
in Norwalk, Connecticut, September 9,
1665, and died April 12, 1737. He was an
43
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
important man in the town, captain of the
train band, and a large owner of real es-
tate. On December 16, 1713, he was,
with Captain Joseph Piatt and Ensign
James Stewart, appointed a committee
to make a settlement of a highway or
road to Ridgefield, "if they and the com-
mittee of Ridgefield can agree; and doth
fully impower said committee to make
restitution to such persons that said high-
way may take land from within the limits
of Norwalk township."
On March 7, 1690, he married Elizabeth
St. John, daughter of Samuel St. John,
granddaughter of Matthias St. John, Sr.
Her mother was Elizabeth (Hoyt) St.
John, daughter of Walter Hoyt. Mat-
thias St. John was born in England, and
came to Dorchester, Massachusetts, in
1631-32. The record of the marriage of
John Raymond, Jr., reads : "He took to
wife and was married unto Elizabeth
Sension, the daughter of Samuel Sension,
on the 7th day of March, 1690."
(IV) Jabez Raymond, son of John (2)
and Elizabeth (St. John) Raymond, was
born April 1, 1705. He married Rebecca
Piatt, born April 9, 1713, daughter of
Samuel and Rebecca Piatt. He died at a
good age, his will, drawn August 26, 1783,
being court-proven August 3, 1789. His
wife evidently survived him but a few
months, as her estate was inventoried
March 26, 1790. Their heirs were Jo-
siah, their son, and the children of their
deceased daughter, Ann, wife of Samuel
Piatt, son of John Piatt, 3rd. They ap-
pear to have lost an unmarried daughter,
Hannah, in 1770.
(V) Josiah Raymond, son of Jabez and
Rebecca (Piatt) Raymond, married, No-
bember 5, 1765, Molly Merwine, in Nor-
walk. She was from Greenfield Hill and
belonged originally, it seems, to the New
Haven family of that name. She was but
eighteen years of age at marriage, but
brought with her to her Norwalk home
after her marriage several of the Green-
field slaves, who worked in and out of
doors and were a domestic power.
(VI) Thomas Raymond, son of Josiah
and Molly (Merwine) Raymond, married,
March 1, 1797, Eunice Meeker, of Green-
field, and they lived in Ridgefield in the
early part of the nineteenth century.
(VII) William Meeker Raymond, son
of Thomas and Eunice (Meeker) Ray-
mond, was born in Norwalk, Connecticut,
in 1809, died in 1887. He was educated
in the public schools, grew to manhood
on the home farm, and all his life was a
husbandman. When the time came for
him to establish a home of his own, he
bought land adjoining the homestead, and
there built a house which sheltered him
all his days. A man of quiet, unassum-
ing manners, he took the interest of a
good citizen in public affairs and shirked
no duty that devolved upon him as a citi-
zen or neighbor. The attractions of
public office held no lure for him and he
never accepted political office. He mar-
ried Sarah E. Throop, daughter of Isaac
Throop, of Easton, Connecticut, and they
were the parents of the following chil-
dren, who grew to maturity: 1. William
T., born November 19, 1839, died in May,
1918. a lifelong resident of Norwalk. He
was educated in the public schools, and
when twenty years of age started to make
his own way in the world. His first em-
ployment was in a hotel in Westport,
where he acquired sufficient knowledge of
the business to open a hotel of his own.
He continued in that business until 1871,
when he was admitted to a partnership
with his brother, Thomas I., who was
already establshed in business. The
firm, Raymond Brothers, continued until
the death of the elder brother, who bore
his share of the burdens of the business
until his death. Like his father, he had
44
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
no taste for political life, but he was ever
ready to give of his time, means and en-
ergy in furthering any movement that
promised to advance the interests of the
community. He married Josephine A.
Lockwood, daughter of George Lock-
wood, of Wilton. Mrs. Raymond's death
occurred about two years before her hus-
band's. 2. Thomas I., mentioned below.
3. Henry W., deceased. 4. Sarah Eliza,
married H. R. Gorham. 5. Ruth Zelda,
married Robert W. Keeler, of Wilton,
Connecticut, who is mentioned elsewhere
in this work. Mr. and Mrs. William
Meeker Raymond were consistent mem-
bers of the Baptist church.
(VIII) Thomas I. Raymond, son of
William Meeker and Sarah E. (Throop)
Raymond, was born August 17, 1846. He
received his formal education in the pub-
lic schools of Norwalk, Meeker's private
school in Westport, and Wheeler Insti-
tute in Easton, Connecticut. At the age
of sixteen he left the home farm and en-
tered the lumber office of C. F. Tolles, in
South Norwalk. After about eighteen
months he left Mr. Tolles to become a
teller in the First National Bank of South
Norwalk, a position he filled for only six
months, when an opportunity then pre-
sented to become a teller in the Fourth
National Bank of New York City. This
offer he accepted and he continued in the
employ of that bank until 1868, when he
returned to South Norwalk, having mar-
ried the previous year Elizabeth A. Tolles,
the daughter of his former employer. He
next established himself in the coal trade
on his own account, purchasing the busi-
ness of David H. Webb. This was the
beginning of a long and most successful
business career, during which time Mr.
Raymond was actively identified with
more enterprises, perhaps, than any other
man in his city. Soon after embarking in
the coal business, he began shipping farm
products by water to various points along
the coast as far South as Jacksonville,
Florida. While that business was profit-
able from the beginning, it was aban-
doned in about a year in order that Mr.
Raymond might give more attention to
his coal business and to the other lines of
merchandise which he was handling in
connection therewith, flour, feed, grain,
and a wide range of building materials.
His business was carried on with splendid
success until 1919, when he sold out to
the Norwalk Coal and Supply Company.
During the years covering his business
operations, Mr. Raymond was expanding,
until at his death it was one of large pro-
portions. A special line which he fol-
lowed for several years with good results
was the purchase of houses and buildings
in an undesirable condition, and restoring
them often in an entirely remodeled con-
dition to most desirable residences.
Mr. Raymond was connected with
many successful business enterprises, and
during his career served as president
of the Mianus Manufacturing Company,
treasurer of the Norwalk Manufacturing
Company, manager of the Norwalk
Realty and Improvement Company, treas-
urer of the Norwalk Steamboat Com-
pany, trustee and chairman of the execu-
tive committee of the Norwalk Trust
Company, director and member of the
executive committee of the Norwalk Lock
Company, and treasurer of the Connecti-
cut Tidewater Coal Dealers' Association.
Besides these personal interests, which
would seem to consume the time and en-
ergy of any ordinary man, Mr. Raymond
showed more than a passive concern in
matters affecting the public good. With
Dr. J. G. Gregory he founded the Nor-
walk Hospital and was a member of the
executive committee of the board of di-
rectors. He was one of the founders of
the South Norwalk Library and was a
45
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
member of its board of trustees for many
years. He was secretary of the South
Norvvalk Relief Association, secretary of
the South Norwalk Improvement Society,
president of the Norwalk Historical and
Memorial Library Association, inspector
to the Empire Trust Company of New
York, trustee of the Epworth Home for
Working Girls in New York City, and
served as president of the Merchants' &
Manufacturers' Association, of Norwalk.
His public service was to his city as a
member of the Common Council of the
old city of South Norwalk during a period
of five years, and as a member of the
School Board for about twelve years, sev-
eral of which he was chairman of the
board. He was called into the State serv-
ice, and for five years was auditor of the
State of Connecticut. He was a member
of the First Methodist Episcopal Church,
which he served as trustee since 1875,
acting as chairman of the board for five
years, and was a superintendent of the
Sunday school of the church for twenty
years. He is affiliated with Butler Lodge,
Independent Order of Odd Fellows; his
clubs, the Norwalk, South Norwalk, the
Knob Outing, Pine Ledge, and the Nor-
walk Country.
Mr. Raymond married (first) Eliza-
abeth A. Tolles, who died in 1893, leaving
three children: 1. Martha P., wife of M.
D. Randall, and mother of a daughter,
Elizabeth. 2. L. May, formerly the wife
of Charles D. Burnes, of Stamford, Con-
necticut, and mother of two sons, Dudley
E. and Raymond. 3. Elsie, wife of David
Albrecht, of Stamford, Connecticut. Other
children of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond died in
infancy. Mr. Raymond married (second)
Carolyn Van Cleft, daughter of the Rev.
Asa Jessup Van Cleft, D. D., of the Wyo-
ming Conference, at Oneonta, New York,
and Elizabeth Gore (Wood) Van Cleft,
who was a daughter of John B. Wood, one
of the first settlers of Wilkes-Barre, Penn-
sylvania. Mrs. Raymond is a descendant
of the judges, Obidiah Gore, of Massachu-
setts, and Christopher Gore, who was sent
by this country to Europe as a diplomat,
and was a friend of General Lafayette.
Once when asked what his particular
hobby was, Mr. Raymond replied : "Any-
thing I undertake." On another occasion
he said : "The poorest boy if honest and
industrious can achieve his ambition."
These remarks furnish the keynote to Mr.
Raymond's success in life, a success which
rested upon a secure foundation, upright
character, ability to concentrate, and inde-
fatigable industry. Although for half a
century his working days averaged from
fifteen to eighteen hours, in his seventy-
third year he exhibited a physical and
mental alertness which a man twenty-
five years younger might envy. His friends
were legion and he held the esteem and
confidence of all who knew him.
Such was the life and work of Thomas
I. Raymond, every page of his book of
life an open one, every act one of justice
and right. The work of a community con-
tinues despite the changes and vicissi-
tudes that come to smaller groups, but
men in all walks of life paused to mark
with respect and honor the passing of an
associate who had lived long and worthily
among them, and the loss of his compan-
ionship and counsel will long persist.
Among the numerous resolutions passed
by the organizations with which Mr. Ray-
mond was identified were the following:
Whereas, Our associate, co-worker and di-
rector, Mr. Thomas I. Raymond, for whom we
entertained profound feelings of regard, respect
and affection, has been taken from us and called
to a higher life, and,
Whereas, We shall cherish the influence and
example of his life through the coming years, and,
Whereas, His going will create a deep void,
not only in the board but in the entire commu-
nity; now, therefore,
46
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Be it Resolved, That in his death we have all
experienced an irreparable loss ; that we sincerely
value the memory of his loyal spirit and his un-
tiring efforts to promote all enterprises which in-
ured to the public good; that we prize the knowl-
edge of having been so closely associated with a
man of his courage, sound judgment, broad vis-
ion, civic pride, and one whose standard of busi-
ness life can well be followed by all those who
consider honest and upright dealings the only
foundation of enduring success in life, and,
Be it Further Resolved, That this resolution be
incorporated in the minutes of this meeting and
that a copy of the same be sent to Mrs. Raymond.
The Nor walk Realty & Improvement Co.,
William L. Young, Secretary.
The following preamble and resolutions
were unanimously adopted by the Board
of the South Norwalk Trust Company at
a regular meeting held May 13, 1920:
Thomas I. Raymond, Esq., a lifetime resident
of this city, died at his home on the 8th inst. Mr.
Raymond has been identified with this company
since its organization as stockholder, director and
member of the executive committee, and his judg-
ment on real estate values and general banking
matters has been of material assistance in the com-
pany's progress. In recognition, thereof, and of
his sterling qualities, be it therefore
Resolved, That we hereby express our appre-
ciation of his identification with us, of the serv-
ices he has rendered the company, the loss we
have suffered through his death, and extend our
sincere sympathy to his family in their bereave-
ment, and
Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be
sent to his widow.
Richard H. Golden, Joseph R. Taylor,
Edwin O. Keeler, David H. Miller,
Charles E. Hoyt, Matthew Carbutt.
The following resolutions were passed
by the directors of The Mianus Manufac-
turing Company :
Whereas, It has pleased God to remove the
burdens of this life from our President and
friend, Mr. Thomas I. Raymond, and grant him
a life eternal in the Heavenly Kingdom, be it
Resolved, That we extend our sincere sympathy
to the family who has lost husband, father and
protector; that we mourn his loss as that of an
intimate friend and counsellor, who endeared him-
self to each of us through the kindness, cour-
tesy and manly qualities exhibited by him during
our long association with him in business life.
Resolved, That these resolutions be signed by
the surviving directors and forwarded to the be-
reaved family, and that a copy of same be spread
upon the records of this company.
Miner D. Randall,
Fred A. Springer,
N. P. Bishop,
Edwin O. Keeler,
Joseph Brush,
Henry J. Warren.
At a meeting of the Governing Board of
the Norwalk Country Club the following
resolution was passed :
Resolved, That in the death of Thomas I. Ray-
mond, our vice-president and associate, this Board
feels a sense of great loss. It will miss the ben-
efit of his keen insight, sound judgment and in-
terest in the welfare of this Club.
The Secretary is instructed to spread this res-
olution on the Minutes of the Club and send a
copy to Mrs. Raymond.
Seymour Curtis,
Secretary.
At a meeting of the directors of the
Norwalk Manufacturing Company the
following resolutions were adopted :
IN MEMORIAM.
Inasmuch, As it has pleased the Almighty God
to summon home that good man and faithful
Christian, Thomas I. Raymond,
Whereas, His high business ideals, his judg-
ment in deciding matters of importance, his cour-
age in helping to develop The Norwalk Mfg. Co.,
and his ever readiness to do all he could for the
Company, are a cherished memory, and an ever-
lasting inspiration to the directors of The Nor-
walk Mfg. Co.
Whereas, During our association with him as
treasurer of The Norwalk Mfg. Co., he implanted
in the organization the principles of dealing justly
to all with whom we do business, and whereas
this principle of his life stands to-day a memorial
of the work to which he devoted his energy and
his manhood, be it
Resolved, That the directors of The Norwalk
Mfg. Co. do hereby express our loving regard for
the memory of Thomas I. Raymond, and our sor-
row at his illness and death.
47
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
That this action be placed upon the minutes of
the Company, and that a copy be sent to his be-
reaved family.
Charles E. Dunneback,
Secretary.
At a regular monthly meeting of the
board of directors of the Norwalk Lock
Company, held on May 12, 1920, the fol-
lowing resolutions were unanimously
adopted :
Resolved, That in the removal by death of Mr.
Raymond, who has been associated with this com-
pany as director since 1904, we have lost a wise
counsellor and loyal friend, and one who always
manifested a deep interest in its affairs.
Resolved, That these resolutions be incorpor-
ated in the minutes of this meeting, and the Sec-
retary be directed to send the family of Mr. Ray-
mond a copy thereof. George R. Barnum,
Secretary.
At a meeting of the Official Board of
the South Norwalk Methodist Episcopal
Church, held May 18, 1920, the following
resolutions were drawn and adopted :
Resolved, That it is with great sorrow that we
are called upon to record the death of such a val-
uable member of our Official Board as Brother
Thomas I. Raymond. Few men have attained
the record that Brother Raymond has for more
than fifty years. He was ever ready to bear the
burdens of the positions he held. For many years
he was Superintendent of our Sunday School;
served long and faithfully as a Trustee of the
Church and on most of the Church's important
Committees. With wisdom and steadfastness of
purpose he was always ready to bear his full share
of responsibility. His devotion to the South Nor-
walk Methodist Episcopal Church was very sin-
cere and very marked in his daily life and char-
acter, and his death causes a great loss to our
Church. We wish to convey to the family of our
deceased brother our deep feeling of sadness
and sympathy in this hour of their bereavement —
and be it further
Resolved, That the foregoing resolution .be en-
tered upon the records of the Church, and a copy
of the same transmitted to the family of our de-
ceased brother.
Charles F. Tristram,
Charles E. Hoyt,
John L. Allen,
Committee.
TOWNE, Henry Robinson,
Engineer, Manufacturer.
In the history of Connecticut indus-
tries, the name of Henry R. Towne will
ever hold a foremost place. Locating his
plant in Stamford long before that place
became a city and manufacturing center,
he did more perhaps than any other man
of his time to give the town a world-wide
reputation. During iTis residence there
Mr. Towne was a leader in all movements
to improve the material, moral and spir-
itual phases of the city's life. He has
proven himself a worthy scion of one of
New England's pioneer families, and by
his own achievements has added fresh
luster to an honored family name.
Towne is one of the oldest of English
surnames. The most common derivation
of family names is from places of resi-
dence. This is well illustrated by the
name of William de la Towne, who in the
year 1274 was a resident of the village of
Alvely in Shropshire. In course of time
the preposition and article were dropped,
and the name, used in a descriptive way
at first, became finally a patronymic. A
town originally signified a collection of
houses inclosed by a hedge, palisade or
wall for safety.
(I) William Towne, the founder of the
family in America, was born (according
to a family record that has been pre-
served) in 1600, and came to America
from Bristol, England, in 1630. His age
is further attested by his testimony in a
case tried in the Salem Court in 1660 that
he was three-score years old. On March
25, 1620, he married Joanna Blessing, in
the Church of St. Nicholas, in the town
of Yarmouth, England, and their first six
children were baptized there. He is first
found on record in Salem, Massachusetts,
in connection with a grant of land in 1640.
He was referred to as "Goodman" Towne
48
Jfi^^^y <f\ . J^trv*sv\Aj \
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
in a court judgment given in his favor
the same year. In 1651 he purchased land
and a house in Topsfield, Massachusetts,
and the following year sold his property
in Salem and bought more land in Tops-
field. There he died in 1672, his widow
surviving him until 1682.
(II) Edmund Towne, son of William
Towne, was baptized June 28, 1628, in
the Church of St. Nicholas. He was a
member of a committee from the town of
Topsfield, who during King Philip's War
petitioned the General Court to form mil-
itary companies to protect the inhabit-
ants from the Indians while at work. His
estate was inventoried, May 3, 1678. His
widow's will was proved, December 16,
1717, and in it she said she was very aged.
(III) Joseph Towne, son of Edmund
Towne, was born in Topsfield, Massachu-
setts, September 2, 1661. On August 10,
1687, ne married Eamy (sometimes Ru-
hama) Smith, born August 16, 1668, and
died February 22, 1756, daughter of Rob-
ert Smith.
(IV) Nathan Towne, son of Joseph
and Eamy (Smith) Towne, was born in
1693. He married Phoebe Curtis and re-
sided for a time in Boxford, Massachu-
setts, from whence he removed to An-
dover. There his wife died January 5,
1762, and he survived her but a short
time.
(V) Nathan (2) Towne, son of Na-
than (1) and Phoebe (Curtis) Towne,
was born April 25, 1720. He married
Mary Poole, in Boxford, Massachusetts,
and died in Andover.
(VI) Benjamin Towne, son of Nathan
(2) and Mary (Poole) Towne, was born
February 28, 1747. He married (first)
Mehitable Chandler, born August 9, 1744,
and died January 23, 1788, daughter of
Josiah and Sarah (Parker) Chandler. She
was of the sixth generation in descent
from William Chandler, who with his wife
Conn-5— 4
Annis and four children settled in Rox-
bury, Massachusetts, in 1637. Benjamin
Towne died in Methuen, Massachusetts,
in 1825.
(VII) John Towne, son of Benjamin
and Mehitable (Chandler) Towne, was
born April 3, 1787. Thus far the family
had been small farmers and millers, but
he departed from the vocation of his an-
cestors. In many ways John Towne was
a remarkable man. He had great energy
and perseverance combined with rare in-
genuity, refined tastes and a brilliant in-
tellect. He left home early to seek a
fortune and he succeeded. He became a
teacher of penmanship, following that
profession in various places. In Balti-
more, Maryland, he met Henry Robinson,
an Englishman whose sister he married.
These men formed a partnership and
continued in business together for a few
years. Mr. Towne later withdrew from
the firm and went to Pittsburgh, Penn-
sylvania. There he bought land, built a
large house and started a large fruit farm.
Soon after he also embarked in the trans-
portation business, owning several river
steamboats which plied between Pitts-
burgh and New Orleans. At the same
time he engaged in the sugar and cotton
commission business. During his activi-
ties in these ventures, his wife superin-
tended the cultivation of the farm. In
1833 his brother-in-law. Henry Robinson,
who was then owner of the gas works in
Boston, Massachusetts, offered Mr. Towne
the position of superintendent. Accepting
the offer, he removed to that city and re-
sided there until 1840. Having accumu-
lated considerable wealth, he retired from
business and became a resident of Phil-
adelphia, Pennsylvania. Nine years later
he purchased a beautiful home near that
city, where he died July 24, 185 1. In his
later years he was able to indulge his love
of art by purchasing many fine paintings,
49
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
largely the work of well known American
artists, many of whom were numbered
among his personal friends. He married
Sarah Robinson, a native of Coventry,
England.
(VIII) John Henry Towne, son of John
and Sarah (Robinson) Towne, was born
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, February
20, 1818. He was educated in Boston,
Massachusetts, and early evinced great
natural talent for mechanics. When yet
a young man, he formed a partnership
with S. V. Merrick (later the first presi-
dent of the Pennsylvania Railroad), and
under the firm name of Merrick & Towne
they established in Philadelphia what be-
came in its day one of the largest and
best known engineering plants in the
country. The business is still carried on
under the name of the Southwark Foun-
dry. Among the notable work done by
that firm was the building of the engines,
designed by Captain John Ericcson, for
the United States steamship, "Prince-
ton," which was the first war vessel to be
equipped with a screw propeller. In 1848
Mr. Towne withdrew from the firm and
engaged in business as a consulting engi-
neer. He built gas works in New Bed-
ford, Massachusetts, and Savannah, Geor-
gia. He also became active in the man-
agement of the Philadelphia & Reading
Railroad. He helped to organize and
build the North Pennsylvania Railroad, of
which he became vice-president. In 1861
he formed a partnership with I. P. Morris
under the firm name of I. P. Morris,
Towne & Company, which owned ana
operated the Port Richmond Iron Works.
Later that plant became part of the pres-
ent Cramp shipyards. During the Civil
War the firm built the engines for many
large war vessels and monitors. Like his
father, he was a great lover of nature,
music and art. He left a large bequest to
the University of Pennsylvania for its
scientific department, which thereupon
was named the "Towne Scientific School"
in his honor. His death occurred April
7, 1875.
Mr. Towne married Maria Rebecca
Tevis, born May 30, 1822, daughter of
Joshua and Rebecca Risteau (Carman)
Tevis. Joshua Tevis was a prominent
Philadelphia merchant. Rebecca Risteau
Carman was born in 1784, daughter of
Robert North Carman, who was born in
1756. He was a grandson of Captain
Robert and Katherine (Risteau) North.
The latter was born in 1708, and was a
granddaughter of John Risteau, a Hu-
guenot refugee who settled in Baltimore,
Maryland, where he becamft high sheriff.
John Henry and Maria Rebecca (Tevis)
Towne became the parents of two sons,
one of whom died in infancy, and the
other, Henry Robinson Towne, is the
subject of this sketch, and of two daugh-
ters.
(IX) Henry Robinson Towne, son of
John Henry and Maria Rebecca (Tevis)
Towne, was born in Philadelphia, Penn-
sylvania, August 28, 1844. He was pre-
pared for college at private schools, and
matriculated at the University of Penn-
sylvania, which later conferred on him
the degree of Master of Arts. At the close
of the college year in 1862, Mr. Towne
went into the drafting-room of the Port
Richmond Iron Works. There the me-
chanical bent of his mind soon became
apparent, and after less than two years
at the drafting table he was placed in
charge of government work in the shops
engaged in repairing the gunboat "Mas-
sachusetts." That was in 1863. The fol-
lowing year, Mr. Towne, though only
about twenty years of age, was sent to
the navy yard in Charlestown, Massa-
chusetts, to assemble and erect the en-
gines which the Port Richmond Iron
Works had built for the monitor "Mon-
50
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
adnock." From there he went to the
navy yard in Portsmouth, New Hamp-
shire, to superintend the erecting and
testing of the machinery of the monitor
"Agamenticus" (whose name was later
changed to "Terror"), and from there he
was sent to the Philadelphia navy yard
to do similar work in connection with the
cruiser "Pushmataha." These were great
responsibilities for one so young, but they
served to develop his mechanical and ex-
ecutive abilities. Mr. Towne was only
twenty-one when, as acting superintend-
ent, he was placed in general charge of
the shops of the Port Richmond Iron
Works. All this practical experience
emphasized to Mr. Towne's mind the fun-
damental necessity of a thorough train-
ing in engineering science, a department
of learning that "had not in those days
received anything like the attention now
given to it. Accordingly, soon after peace
was declared, Mr. Towne resumed the
study of engineering under the tuition of
Robert Briggs, a noted civil engineer of
Philadelphia, whom he accompanied later
on an engineering trip to Great Britain,
Belgium and France. Mr. Towne re-
mained in Paris to pursue a special course
in physics at the Sorbonne. Upon his
return to the United States, Mr. Towne
resumed his association with Mr. Briggs
and for another year engaged in study and
experimental work. During this time he
carried out a series of experiments in
connection with leather belting, the re-
sults of which were accepted as standard
authority for the following twenty years.
He next entered the shops of William
Sellers & Company, manufacturers of the
Giffard injector, where he still further
broadened his mechanical knowledge and
experience.
In July, 1868, Mr. Towne became ac-
quainted with Linus Yale, Jr., and thus
in an almost casual way was born a busi-
ness that was to make the names of both
men known the world over, and to be-
come one of Connecticut's principal in-
dustries, contributing greatly to the mate-
rial up-building of the State. Mr. Yale
was a talented and ingenious inventor,
who had originated many designs for
locks that were a radical departure from
any then in use. He was conducting his
business in Shelburne Falls, Massachu-
setts, where about thirty-five men were
employed. At that time the principal
product was bank locks. Mr. Towne fore-
saw the wonderful possibilities in Mr.
Yale's invention of the "cylinder" lock,
and suggested a partnership, in which he
should assume charge of the manufac-
turing end of the business, thus leaving
Mr. Yale free to do further experimental
work and inventing. Accordingly, The
Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company
was organized, in October, 1868, with Mr.
Yale as president, and the business was
removed to Stamford, Connecticut. This
association, which in a brief time had de-
veloped into a warm friendship, was sud-
denly brought to an end by the untimely
death of Linus Yale, Jr., December 25,
1868. He was succeeded in the presi-
dency by Mr. Towne. Trained as an en-
gineer, endowed with a natural aptitude
for organization, and for executive man-
agement, broad of vision, ambitious, with
a determination that brooked no obstacle,
and blessed with splendid mental and
physical poise, Mr. Towne assumed a task
before which most men would quail. His
natural mechanical instinct, backed by his
technical and practical training, led him
to plan and build for the large and per-
manent future which he saw was possible
to the business, and to lay a broad and
deep foundation of scientific manufactur-
ing methods.
For the following ten years, Mr. Towne
devoted himself with indefatigable indus-
51
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
try to broadening the company's line of
products, to the design of machine tools
especially adapted to manufacture the
unique Yale lock, to working out the most
efficient and effective factory methods
and processes, to a wider application of
the principles introduced by Mr. Yale,
and to make improvements in the design
and mechanical excellence of the com-
pany's product. Besides doing all this,
the management of the executive and
selling departments in the early days of
the business devolved upon Mr. Towne.
With him there was never any question
of policy — there was only one path to
pursue, namely, to make every product
mechanically right for its intended use,
and to sell it at a price which permitted
of the maintenance of this quality. The
path thus chosen led to open and square
dealing without variation, regardless of
all exigencies. The business prospered.
Beginning in 1868 with about thirty-five
employees and a plant that, including
brass foundry and power-house, com-
prised only fifteen thousand feet of floor
space, the plant has grown until it now
occupies an area of twenty-four acres,
with about five acres of ground in re-
serve to meet the requirements of future
development. The combined floor areas
of buildings in 1918 exceeded twenty-five
acres. The value of the plant and equip-
ment is indicated by the amount of in-
surance carried, $6,000,000, which also
covers materials on hand, the total in-
vested capital exceeding $15,000,000. The
number of employees is normally about
4,000, and during the War years, 1917-19,
exceeded 6,500. Their welfare is looked
after by a department known as the
Industrial Relations Department, which
neglects no detail that will promote their
safety, sanitation, health and comfort.
Mr. Towne was one of the pioneer man-
ufacturers of the country in thus looking
after the welfare of employees, his efforts
along this line beginning in 1869, when
the first plant was completed. In 1911-12,
a subsidiary company was organized in
Canada to manufacture Yale products for
that market. That plant, though of
course very much smaller than the one
in Stamford, was built and is operated
along the same lines. Fifty years ago the
organization of a manufacturing plant
was of the simplest and most elementary
character, but in this direction, as in ev-
erything else, Mr. Towne's ideas kept
pace with the development of the busi-
ness and of the times, and it is safe to say
that no industrial enterprise in this coun-
try is more thoroughly and efficiently or-
ganized. Mr. Towne is a splendid judge
of men, and as the needs of the business
grew he selected men with the requisite
knowledge and natural qualifications for
the positions to be filled. It is said that
The Yale & Towne Manufacturing Com-
pany is the largest producer in the world
of locks, bank locks, night latches, fine
padlocks, and chain-blocks, and one of
the largest producers of builders hard-
ware, door-closers, electric hoists, and
electric industrial trucks. The items in
its catalogs number 45,000.
Mr. Towne became a member of the
American Society of Mechanical Engi-
neers when that organization was yet
young, and for many years participated
enthusiastically in its proceedings. He
was elected president of the Society in
1888, and the following year was chosen
chairman of the large delegation from
the three great engineering societies who
went to Europe as the guests of the In-
stitution of Civil Engineers of Great Brit-
ain and of the Societe des Ingenieurs Civ-
ils of France. Mr. Towne, while not a
voluminous writer, is the author of a
number of papers which won wide recog-
nition as valuable contributions to tech-
52
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
nical literature. Perhaps the most nota-
ble was a paper read before the American
Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1886
entitled "The Engineer as an Economist."
It has been said that this was the first
published article advocating the recogni-
tion of works management as a modern
science. In 1921 he was elected an hon-
orary member of the Society.
In 1892 Mr. Towne changed his resi-
dence from Stamford to New York City,
and despite the exacting demands of his
own business he found time to render
valued service as an early and active
member of the Merchant's Association
of that city, serving as its president from
1907 to 1913, and is still a member of its
board of directors. He was active in pro-
moting the organization of the Chamber
of Commerce of the United States of
America, and of the National Tariff Com-
mission Association, and served as treas-
urer of the latter until it was disbanded.
He also participated in the early activities
of the League for Industrial Rights, and
the National Industrial Conference Board.
In 1919 the degree of Doctor of Commer-
cial Science was conferred on him by
New York University.
While a resident of Stamford, Connec-
ticut, especially in the years between 1880
and 1890, Mr. Towne interested himself
in movements for the improvement of the
town. Stamford's most pressing need at
that time was a system of sewerage. Mr.
Towne was the most active advocate of
this, and led numerous debates in its
favor at public meetings. He was instru-
mental in securing the employment, by
the then borough, of his friend, Colonel
George E. Waring, a celebrated sanitary
engineer, who designed the system of
sanitary sewerage that was later installed.
Mr. Towne was a pioneer in the move-
ment for good roads. In addresses and
in articles published over his signature, he
advocated a more progressive policy and
the result was the construction of a num-
ber of macadamized streets, the real be-
ginning of better roads in Stamford. He
caused a plan to be drawn for a parkway
along the Rippowan river. This met with
opposition and defeat, but in later years it
was recognized that had Mr. Towne's
suggestion been carried out, which could
easily have been done at that time, Stam-
ford would have a beauty spot through
the center of the town that would make
it unique. One of the earliest undertak-
ings of Mr. Towne for the benefit of his
employees was the establishment of a
library, which was housed in two rooms
of a building on Main street. This was
supplied with works on scientific sub-
jects, fiction and current magazines. It
was used not only by his factory em-
ployees but by the public, and was really
the beginning of Stamford's splendid free
library. It was also the beginning of the
Yale & Towne welfare work already al-
luded to in this sketch.
On March 12, 1868, Mr. Towne mar-
ried Cora E. White, daughter of John
Parker and Eliza Canfield (Tallmadge)
White. John P. White was a descendant
of Hon. David Hall, first governor of Del-
aware. Hon. Frederick Augustus Tall-
madge, father of Eliza Canfield Tall-
madge, was at one time recorder of the
City of New York. He married Eliza H.
Canfield, daughter of Judson and Mabel
(Ruggles) Canfield. Frederick A. Tall-
madge was the son of Colonel Benjamin
Tallmadge, aide-de-camp of General
Washington in the Revolution. He mar-
ried Mary Floyd, daughter of General
William Floyd, one of the signers of the
Declaration of Independence. Henry
Robinson and Cora E. (White) Towne
were the parents of John Henry Towne,
still living, and of Frederick Tallmadge
Towne, who was born March 5, 1872, and
who died February 4, 1906.
53
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
MIX, Elisha (3rd),
Head of Important Business.
A man is a quotation from all his an-
cestors. No book printed in the nine-
teenth century did so much perhaps to
spur young people to worthy endeavor as
"Self Help," by Samuel Smiles, a collec-
tion of brief biographies detailing the
struggles of men who by their own un-
aided efforts worked their way from hum-
ble beginnings to commanding positions
in every field of human achievement. Such
stories still interest and instruct us, but
the objection is often heard that the
days of opportunity are past. It is, there-
fore, important to place before the youth
of our time the histories of successful men
now living; and the career of Elisha Mix,
lock manufacturer of Stamford, furnishes
such a story. It will be an inspiration to
the young. It will stimulate ambition. It
will conduce to honesty, energy and per-
severance. It will inculcate humanitar-
ianism in the management of employes,
efficiency and system in upbuilding a
business.
The Mix family is among the oldest in
New England, and Elisha Mix, of this
review, who will appear in greater detail
below, carries in his veins also the blood
of other Colonial families, among them,
Turner, Goodwin, Webster, Steele, Gov-
ernor William Bradford and others. It
was the lofty ideals and sturdy patriot-
ism of such families that gave color and
form to New England society and insti-
tutions, which in turn exerted such a vir-
ile and beneficent influence in shaping the
real character of America as a nation.
To possess such a heritage carries with it
responsibility. Elisha Mix in his char-
acter and activities maintains the unsul-
lied reputation of his ancestors, and like
them he has always stood ready to meet
every responsibility that is connected by
the term, good citizen. The spellings of
the name of Mix have been many and va-
ried. In the early records it is most com-
monly spelled Meekes.
(I) Thomas Meekes, the ancestor of
the family, believed to have been born in
London, England, died in 1691, and is
buried near the old green in the New
Haven Church Burying Ground. In 1643
he was a resident of New Haven, Connec-
ticut. He married, six years later, Re-
becca Turner, daughter of Captain Na-
thaniel Turner, who came with Governor
Winthrop.
(II) John Mix, eldest son of Thomas
and Rebecca (Turner) Meekes, was born
in 1649, and died January 21, 1711-12. He
removed to Wallingford, Connecticut, in
1670, and was the first of the name there.
He married, before 1676, Elizabeth Hea-
ton, born in 1650, died August 21, 171 1.
(III) John (2) Mix, eldest son of John
(1) and Elizabeth (Heaton) Mix, was born
August 25, 1676. He married (first) No-
vember 25, 1702, Sarah Thompson, born
January 16, 1671, died November 21,
171 1. He married (second), November
12, 1712, Mrs. Elizabeth Booth, who died
in May, 1716. He married (third), Feb-
ruary 14, 1717, Esther Peck.
(IV) Ebenezer Mix, son of John (2)
and Elizabeth (Booth) Mix, was born in
1715-16, and died in West Hartford, Con-
necticut, August 4, 1766. He was a large
land owner, and an active member of the
Congregational church. He married Anna
Goodwin, born in 1725, died in 1817,
daughter of Isaac Goodwin (see Good-
win V). Ebenezer and Anna (Goodwin)
Mix were the parents of John and Elisha
Mix, both prominent men. The former.
John Mix, was secretary of the Order of
the Cincinnati, and with him were de-
posited the charter and funds of the So-
ciety when it was disbanded in 1804. He
was an ensign and lieutenant in the Rev-
54
II
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
olution. The second son was Elisha, of
whom further.
(V) Elisha Mix, son of Ebenezer and
Anna (Goodwin) Mix, was born July i,
1764, and died June 12, 1818. He was a
corporal in the Revolutionary War, and a
pensioner in 1818, the year he died. His
widow received a pension until her death.
Elisha Mix served in Captain Catlin's
company, Fifth Regiment of the Connec-
ticut Line, May 26, 1777, for eight months ;
enlisted from Goshen, as corporal, Au-
gust 14, 1777, for the war, in the Seventh
Regiment of the Connecticut Line; "en-
listed in Captain Baldwin's Company,
January 1, 1781, paid to December 31,
1781." He also served as a corporal in
Captain Bissell's company, "arrived in
camp, June 23, 1778." Elisha Mix mar-
ried Anna Webster, born in 1759, died
January 27, 1842, daughter of Isaac Web-
ster (see Webster V).
(VI) James Mix, son of Elisha and
Anna (Webster) Mix, was born July 10,
1793. He was corporal in the War of
1812. He settled in Goshen, Connecti-
cut. At one time he conducted a grocery
store in Hartford, and he died in Terry-
ville, Connecticut, in 1859. He married,
December 8, 18 14, Lucy Steele, born De-
cember 8, 1793, daughter of Allyn Steele
(see Steele VII).
(VII) General Elisha (2) Mix, son of
James and Lucy (Steele) Mix, was born
November 17, 1818, in Watertown, Con-
necticut, and died October 8, 1898 He
married, July 10, 1843, Amelia Edmonds,
a native of Trowbridge, England, where
she was born April 2, 1827. She died in
November, 1916. General Elisha Mix was
reared in Hartford, where his father re-
moved while he was yet a small lad, and
entered the grocery business. The boy,
Elisha, attended the common school, and
later learned the trades of tool and clock
making. When he was about eighteen
years old, he ran away and went to sea ;
he continued along this line for about
two years, and finally reached Florida,
during the progress of the Seminole War,
in which he took part. After that he re-
turned to Connecticut and settled in
Terryville, remaining for a time, going
thence to New Haven, where he was one
of the organizers of the New Haven Clock
Company. After a few years he left the
Clock Company, though still retaining
his financial interest in it, and went to
Michigan where he engaged in the lum-
bering business for a year or two. He
then returned to New Haven, Connecti-
cut, and spent three or four years with
the Clock Company. About 1854 he sold
his interest in that enterprise and went
West, locating in Allegan, Michigan,
where he engaged in the lumbering busi-
ness until 1862, in which year he raised
a company for the Eighth Michigan Cav-
alry and served three years. He went out
as captain of his company and was pro-
moted successively to major, lieutenant-
colonel and colonel. On March 19, 1865,
he was brevetted brigadier-general. In
the Stoneman raid, General Mix was
taken prisoner and confined in Macon,
Georgia, for a short time. From there
he was sent to Charleston, South Can>
lina, where he remained about two and
one-half months, when he was exchanged.
General Mix served in fifty-two engage-
ments, a remarkable record.
After the war, General Mix purchased
a retail hardware store in Allegan, which
he conducted for about three years. Then
he removed to Fennville, Michigan, where
he operated a saw mill for Emerson &
Talcott for two years. In 1868-69, he
bought a machine shop in Allegan and
engaged in building saw mills and sta-
tionary engines, and doing repair work
on them, until 1870, when he removed
to Wyandotte and took charge of the
55
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Wyandotte Agricultural Works, manufac-
turers of mowers, plows, cultivators and
so forth. He was there about two years
and then returned to Allegan. In the
latter place, General Mix organized a
company to manufacture freight cars. A
factory was built and the machinery had
been installed when the panic of 1873
compelled the abandonment of the enter-
prise. On May 3, 1873, General Mix re-
turned to Connecticut and entered the
employ of the Eagle Lock Company as
a toolmaker. In October, 1875, he organ-
ized the Bridgeport Lock Company and
removed to Bridgeport. He was secre-
tary of the company, which was success-
ful from the beginning and promised such
competition in the lock business that the
Eagle Lock Company purchased the busi-
ness and removed it to Terryville. Gen-
eral Mix went there as superintendent of
the tool department and remained there
until 1880, when he went to Clarion
county, Pennsylvania, and organized a
lumber company under the name of the
Bagaley Mills Company. Later he es-
tablished another mill in Elk county for
the same company. That was in the
spring of 1882, and as there were coal
mines on the property where the com-
pany proposed to work, a new corporation
was formed under the name of the Ar-
thur Coal & Lumber Company. Gen-
eral Mix remained there until the spring
of 1884, and in that year retired from ac-
tive business, returning to Allegan, Mich-
igan, where he resided until his death in
1898. During his last residence there he
was for several years superintendent of
the Allegan County Poor.
In political faith a Republican, he was
active in the support of the party. Hr
was a delegate to the convention in Jack-
son, Michigan, at which the Republican
party was organized, but never desired
public office. General Mix was a member
of C. J. Bassett Post, Grand Army of the
Republic, of Allegan, which he served
several times as commander, and he was
made a Free Mason in Mt. Clements,
Michigan, while in camp there at the be-
ginning of the war. A Sons of Veterans
camp was also organized in Allegan, and
they chose the name of General Elisha
Mix Camp in honor of their fellow-citizen.
General Mix and his wife, Amelia (Ed-
monds) Mix, were the parents of the fol-
lowing children: Rosina, wife of Harold
C. Weeks ; she died January 10, 1919. in
Allegan ; Elisha, of further mention ; Har-
riet Elizabeth, died in infancy. The fam-
ily were members of the Congregational
church.
General Elisha Mix was a typical, rest-
less, energetic, aggressive and progres-
sive New Englander. He knew not the
word discouragement. The failure of one
undertaking only spurred him to greater
and more determined effort. A highly
skilled mechanic of the time when men
learned trades thoroughly, he was also
the fortunate possessor of splendid execu-
tive ability. He understood human na-
ture and knew how to win the confidence
of men and manage them. Every inch a
patriot, he served his country on the field
of battle, and in the less strenuous days
of peace he measured up to the responsi-
bilities of citizenship. He was highly es-
teemed by all who had an opportunity to
recognize his sturdy, upright character.
(VIII) Elisha (3) Mix, only son of
General Elisha (2) and Amelia (Ed-
monds) Mix, was born January 14, 1850,
in New Haven, Connecticut. He was
educated in the grammar and high school
of Allegan, Michigan, and at an early age
began to learn the trade of machinist,
under the instruction of his father. He
came to Connecticut, May 3, 1873, and
entered the employ of the Eagle Lock
Company as a toolmaker, in which ca-
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
pacity he served for one year, when he
was promoted to superintendent of the
mail lock department, which position he
held until the Bridgeport Lock Company
was formed in November, 1874. He re-
mained with this company until it was
consolidated with the Eagle Lock Com-
pany in 1877. He then returned to Terry-
ville and engaged with the old company
as toolmaker until the summer of 1880,
when he went with his father to Penn-
sylvania to engage in the lumber busi-
ness. He left Arthur's Coal & Lumber
Company in November, 1883, and then
took a position with the Corbin Cabinet
Lock Company, where he remained until
October, 1891, when he came to Stamford,
Connecticut, and took a similar position
with the Yale & Towne Manufacturing
Company, which position he held until
June 30, 1898, in which month he organ-
ized The Excelsior Hardware Company,
of which he has since been president. The
produce of the company is trunk and cab-
inet locks, which are sold direct to trunk
manufacturers and makers of cabinet
work.
The business has grown from the small-
est of beginnings until about eighty-five
people are employed on an average and
about ten thousand dozen locks are pro-
duced a month. The story of the growth
of this enterprise is both entertaining and
instructive. Mr. Mix's achievements dem-
onstrate that it is still possible for a man
with the requisite knowledge of his busi-
ness and the right personal qualities to
enter a field of business apparently al-
ready preempted and win for himself a
substantial success. From what we have
seen of his father's career, we have a
right to infer that Mr. Mix inherited his
great courage, determination and initia-
tive. Like his father, he is thorough
master of every detail of his trade and a
highly skilled artisan. With this equip-
ment and a capital which was, apparently,
wholly inadequate, he embarked in this
enterprise, full of hope, but not unmind-
ful of the keen competition which he
knew he should encounter as soon as
other lock manufacturers discovered his
product on the market. Accordingly, he
planned wisely for all contingencies. He
made a thousand dozen of a certain type
of lock, which he had no difficulty in
marketing. He was not in the least sur-
prised when other manufacturers cut the
price on that type of lock to a ruinous
figure. However, he had sold his first
thousand dozen and now, with the strat-
egy he had already planned, he made a
large stock of a different type, and this
also met with the ruthless price cutting
competition, and so it went, Mr. Mix
gradually strengthening his standing with
the trade and adding to his capital and
equipment until his position among lock
manufacturers was assured. In 1918 a
new and modern brick factory building of
two stories, one hundred feet by fifty feet,
was erected, well lighted and equipped
with every convenience for the comfort
and well being of his employes. A trip
with him through the plant illumines the
character of the president, for it is ap-
parent that the workers are accustomed
to his visits and to receive a pleasant
word of kindly interest that does more
to promote their loyalty than can easily
be estimated. In such an atmosphere it
would be hard to propagate discontent.
Mr. Mix takes an active interest in the
welfare of his adopted city, and can be
depended upon to do his share in its de-
velopment toward an ideal community.
He is an ex-president of the Chamber of
Commerce, and a member of the Order
of United American Mechanics, of which
he is also past councilor; he is past mas-
ter of Ponus Lodge, Ancient Order of
United Workmen.
57
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Mr. Mix married (first) Frances A.
Williams, who has nearly all her life been
known as "Fannie." She was born in
Terry ville, Connecticut, March 4, 185 1,
a daughter of Cornelius R. and Caroline
(Hooker) Williams, the latter named a
daughter of Ira Hooker. The children of
Mr. and Mrs. Mix are: 1. Moseley W.,
now vice-president of The Excelsior
Hardware Company; he married Nellie
N. Layle, and has one son, Earle Lin-
wood. 2. Lora A., resides at home ; a re-
tired school teacher. 3. Ralph Hooker,
married Ina Thresher, and has a daughter,
Frances Bradford, and a son, Ralph
Thresher ; they reside in Springdale,
Stamford, Connecticut. 4. James Ed-
monds, secretary and treasurer of The
Excelsior Hardware Company ; he mar-
ried Grace Morro and they have two
daughters, Marjory and Elizabeth Ann.
5. Clarence Elisha, assistant secretary
and assistant treasurer of The Excelsior
Hardware Company. He served eleven
months in France, until April 4, 1919, in
the Medical Corps of the 107th Infantry,
27th Division, and was in the engagement
at the breaking of the Hindenburg Line.
Clarence E. Mix has a citation for brav-
ery under fire in the Hindenburg line and
other engagements in the World War.
The mother of these children died July 23,
1916. Mr. Mix married (second), March
12, 1919, Mrs. Mary M. Forbes, of Plain-
well, Michigan. The family attend and
are active in the support of the Congre-
gational church, of which Mr. Mix has
served several terms as deacon.
(The Goodwin Line).
(I) Ozias Goodwin, the ancestor of
this branch of the family, was born in
1596, and died in 1683. It is not known
just when he came to New England, but
he was a resident of Hartford, Connec-
ticut, in 1639. He was one of those who
agreed to remove to Hatfield, although
he did not go himself. He married Mary
Woodward, daughter of Robert Wood-
ward, of Braintree, Massachusetts.
(II) William Goodwin, son of Ozias
and Mary (Woodward) Goodwin, was
born about 1629, and died October 15,
1689. He was made freeman, May 21,
1657, and in 1662 served as chimney
viewer.
(III) Nathaniel Goodwin, son of Wil-
liam Goodwin, was a shoemaker by trade.
He was a deacon of the First Church of
Hartford in March, 1734. He held this
office until his death, in November, 1747.
He married Mehetable Porter, born Sep-
tember 15, 1673, daughter of Samuel and
Hannah (Stanley) Porter, and she died
February 6, 1726.
(IV) Isaac Goodwin, son of Nathan-
iel and Mehetable (Porter) Goodwin, was
baptized November 10, 1695, and died
August 15, 1766. He was grand juror in
1741, and selectman in 1742. He married
(first) Hannah Morgan, born Nevember
24, 1703, daughter of Thomas and Rachel
Morgan.
(V) Anna Goodwin, daughter of Isaac
and Hannah (Morgan) Goodwin, was
baptized May 16, 1725, and died Septem-
ber 9, 1817. She married, in 1754, Eben-
ezer Mix (see Mix IV).
(The Webster Line).
(I) Governor John Webster was from
Norwickshire, England, and was one of
the original settlers of Hartford and one
of the founders of the Republic of Con-
necticut. He held many prominent of-
fices; in 1655 he was deputy governor
and in 1656 was governor. His wife's
Christian name was Agnes and they were
the parents of four sons.
(II) Lieutenant Robert Webster, son
of Governor John and Agnes Webster,
was born in 1627, and was a man of great
58
I
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
ability. He served his communities in
many ways, and settled in Middletown.
When that town was organized, he was
made recorder, and also represented Mid-
dletown in the General Court, 1653-55,
1656, 1657, and 1658. He married, in
1652, Susannah Treat, born in 1629,
daughter of Richard and Joanna Treat,
of Wethersfield.
(III) Deacon Jonathan Webster, son
of Lieutenant Robert and Susannah
(Treat) Webster, was born January 9,
1656, and died in 1735. His wife became
a member of the Second Church in Hart-
ford, March 17, 1695, and died the same
year.
(IV) Captain Stephen Webster, son of
Deacon Jonathan Webster, was born Jan-
uary 1, 1693, and died in 1724. He mar-
ried, June 6, 1717, Mary Burnham, bap-
tized December 19, 1690, daughter of
John and Mary (Olcott) Burnham, of
Hartford.
(V) Isaac Webster, son of Captain
Stephen and Mary (Burnham) Webster,
was born in 1718, baptized June 15, of
that year, and died September 19, 1801.
He married, November 11, 1739, Ame
White, who died June 23, 1807. They
were the parents of Anna Webster, who
became the wife of Elisha Mix (see Mix
V).
(The Steele Line).
(I) John Steele, the immigrant, was
born in Essex county, England, and died
November 25, 1665, in Farmington, Con-
necticut. He came to New England in
1631, and settled in Cambridge, Massa-
chusetts. He removed to Hartford,
thence to Farmington. The first wife of
John Steele was named Rachel ; she died
in 1653 ; he married (second) Mrs. Mercy
Seamer.
(II) John (2) Steele, son of John (1)
and Rachel Steele, was married in 1645
to Mercy Warner, daughter of Andrew
Warner. He died previous to his father,
i653-
(III) Samuel Steele, son of John (2)
and Mercy (Warner) Steele, was born
March 15, 1652, and died in 1710. He
married, September 16, 1680, Mercy Brad-
ford, daughter of Major William Brad-
ford.
(IV) Thomas Steele, son of Samuel
and Mercy (Bradford) Steele, was born
September 9, 1681, and died in 1757. He
married, May 16, 1709, Susanna Webster,
who died November 27, 1757.
(V) Samuel (2) Steele, son of Thomas
and Susanna (Webster) Steele, was born
March 11, 1712, and died September 12,
1779. He married, December 20, 1739,
Elizabeth Merry.
(VI) Allyn Steele, son of Samuel (2)
and Elizabeth (Merry) Steele, was born
July 21, 1757, and died June 17, 1802. He
married (first) Joanna Cadwell, born Jan-
uary 20, 1757, and died May 3, 1835.
(VII) Lucy Steele, daughter of Allyn
and Joanna (Cadwell) Steele, became the
wife of James Mix (see Mix VI).
LYNES, Samuel,
Merchant.
Many of the old New England names
have undergone great modifications in
spelling and one of these is Lynes. It is
frequently written Lines and Lyne. Henry
and Ralph Lines, usually supposed to
be brothers, settled in New Haven, Con-
necticut, about 1642. Henry Lines states
in the birth-record of his son, Samuel,
that he is "second sonne of John Line
(as he saith) of Badby two miles from
Dantry (Daventry) in Northampton-
shire."
(I) Ralph Lines, Sr., probably brother
of Henry Lines, lived in that part of New
Haven later designated the parish of Am-
ity, and now the town of Woodbridge.
59
KX CYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
He died September 7, 1689, and his estate
showed an inventory of over £242. In
his will, dated December 4, 1687, he men-
tions sons, Samuel, Ralph, Joseph and
Benjamin, wife "Alis," and daughter Han-
nah. A codicil, dated February 1, 1689,
says that as his life has been prolonged,
and his daughter Hannah since died, he
leaves her portion to his wife Alice. An
additional codicil, made during his last
sickness, states as his son Benjamin has
since died, but his widow being with
child, to that child, if it lives, he bequeaths
its father's portion. He also speaks of his
deceased daughter Merriman. The will
was proved November 13, 1689 (New
Haven Probate, Vol. II, p. 17). Children:
Samuel, Ralph, John, Joseph, Benjamin,
of whom further ; Hannah.
(II) Benjamin Lines, son of Ralph
Lines, married Anna Wilmot, daughter of
William and Sarah (Thomas) Wilmot.
He died July 26, 1689, and soon after his
widow married (second) Dr. Peter Car-
rington. In 1702, Peter Carrington is
called husband to Anna, administratrix on
the estate of her late husband, Benjamin
Lines, deceased (County Court Records,
New Haven, Vol. II, p. 83).
(III) Benjamin (2) Lines, son of Ben-
jamin (1) and Anna (Wilmot) Lines, was
born November 8, 1689. He was of New
Haven. He married Esther, daughter of
Joseph Sturgis, of Fairfield.
(IV) Samuel Lynes, son of Benjamin
(2) and Esther (Sturgis) Lines, was mar-
ried, February 28, 1749, to Mercy Holly.
Mercy Holly was born April 12, 1719.
Her father was Elisha Holly, born No-
vember 10, 1687, died May 14, 1752;
he married, January 24, 1716, Rebecca
Bishop, daughter of Stephen Bishop.
Elisha Holly, grandfather of Mercy
Holly, was born June 1, 1659, and died
October 28, 1719; he married, December
2, 1686, Martha Holmes, and she died
August 4, 1721. His father was John
Holly, who was born in England about
1618 and came to America about 1640,
settled in Stamford, Connecticut, where
he died May 25, 1681. His widow's name
was Mary.
(V) Benjamin (3) Lynes, son of Samuel
and Mercy (Holly) Lynes, was born June
19, 1757, in Ridgebury, Connecticut. He
married Sarah Coley, daughter of Daniel
and Sarah (Sanford) Coley, of Redding,
Connecticut.
(VI) Stephen Coley Lynes, son of Ben-
jamin (3) and Sarah (Coley) Lynes,
married, February 6, 1815, Hannah
Maltby, born in Fairfield, Connecticut,
April 7, 1769, daughter of Captain Jona-
than and Elizabeth (Allen) Maltby.
(See Maltby IV).
(VII) Dr. Samuel (2) Lynes, son of
Stephen Coley and Hannah (Maltby)
Lynes, was born in December, 1821, and
died in July, 1878. He attended school in
his native town of Ridgefield, and read
medicine under the preceptorship of Dr.
Willard Parker, for whom the Willard
Parker Hospital in New York is named.
Subsequently he went to Yale Medical
School, from which he was graduated.
Immediately Dr. Lynes engaged in the
practice of his profession in Norwalk, and
for many years was the only physician in
the town. That was at a time when the
territory covered by a doctor was a very
large one. The physician of that day not
only ministered to the physical wants of
man, he was also the friend, confidante
and adviser of his patients. Dr. Lynes
was beloved among those whose suffer-
ings he eased ; he was accustomed to ride
over the country in the old fashioned two-
wheeled gig, and a glad welcome awaited
him wherever he called. Dr. Lynes was
past master of St. John's Lodge, No. 6,
Free and Accepted Masons, and was past
grand of Our Brothers Lodge, Independ-
60
&Kt*^ «^^v;^r^C
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
ent Order of Odd Fellows, both of Nor-
walk.
Dr. Lynes married Emily Augusta
Sherry, daughter of Charles and Susan
Virginia (St. John) Sherry, of New York
City. Her parents removed to Norwalk
shortly after her birth and located on East
avenue ; later the property was cut up into
building lots and what is now Morgan
avenue passes through the property.
Dr. Lynes and his wife were the par-
ents of : Charles S., now deceased ; Emily
A. ; Susan Virginia, deceased ; Samuel, of
whom further. The family were members
of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, of which
Dr. Lynes was a vestryman for many
years.
The St. John descent is through Susan
Virginia St. John, daughter of William
(2) and Esther (Cannon) St. John. Wil-
liam (2) St. John was a son of William
(1) and Mary Esther (Belden) St. John.
William (1) St. John was a son of Joseph
(2) and Susannah (Selleck) St. John.
Joseph (2) St. John was a son of Joseph
(1) and Sarah (Betts) St. John. Joseph
(1) St. John was a son of Mark and Eliz-
abeth (Stanley) St. John. Mark St. John
was a son of Matthias St. John, the Amer-
ican founder. In the Cannon family the
ancestry is as follows : Esther Cannon
was a daughter of James and Rebecca
(Gould) Cannon. James Cannon was a
son of John (3) and Esther (Perry) Can-
non. John (3) Cannon was a son of John
(2) and Jerusha (Sands) Cannon. John
(2) Cannon was a son of John (1) and
Maria (LeGrand) Cannon. John (1)
Cannon was a son of Andrew and Anna
Cannon, of Staten Island, the first Can-
non settlers. The Selleck connections are
traced through Susannah, born Septem-
ber 3, 1709, who married Joseph (2) St.
John. Susannah was a daughter of Na-
than and Susannah (Hooker) Selleck.
Nathan Selleck was the only son of Jona-
than (2) and Abigail (Gold) Selleck, who
were married September 12, 1686. Jon-
athan (2) Selleck was a son of Jonathan
(1) and Abigail (Law) Selleck. Jon-
athan (1) Selleck was born March 20,
1641, son of David and Susannah Selleck.
Susannah Hooker, who married Nathan
Selleck, was a daughter of William
Hooker, of Farmington, Connecticut.
William Hooker was the third son of
Rev. Samuel and Mary (Swazey) Hooker.
Rev. Samuel Hooker was a son of Rev.
Thomas Hooker, founder of Hartford.
The Belden family figures in this record
through the marriage of William (1) St.
John and Mary Esther Belden. Mary
Esther, born 1758, was a daughter of John
(3) and Rebecca (Bartlett) Belden. John
(3) Belden, born April 26, 1729, was a
son of John (2) and Ruhama (Hill) Bel-
den. John (2) Belden was a son of John
(1) and Ruth (Hayes) Belden. John (1)
Belden, born January 9, 1653, was a son
of William and Thomasine (or Comma-
cine) Belden. John (1) Belden moved to
Norwalk, Connecticut. His father, Wil-
liam Belden, lived in Wethersfield, Con-
necticut, and died there about 1660.
(VIII) Samuel (3) Lynes, son of Dr.
Samuel (2) and Emily Augusta (Sherry)
Lynes, was born April 13, 1865, in Nor-
walk, Connecticut. He was educated in
the public schools of that city. Early in
life he entered the real estate business
with Louise O. Coolidge, under the firm
name of Coolidge & Lynes, and this part-
nership successfully continued about fif-
teen years. In 1902, Mr. Lynes formed a
partnership with Hubert E. Bishop, under
the firm name of Bishop & Lynes, suc-
ceeding C. T. Leonard as proprietors of a
coal business that was established in 1839,
handling coal, wood and mason's supplies.
Mr. Lynes is among the leading mer-
chants of Norwalk, and one of the enter-
prising citizens there. Besides his own
61
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
business interests he is a director of the
Fairfield County National Bank and an
incorporator of the Fairfield County Sav-
ings Bank. Public matters also have re-
ceived his attention ; he served on the
Board of Selectmen and was water com-
missioner for the city of Norwalk.
Fraternally, Mr. Lynes is a member
of St. John's Lodge, No. 6, Free and
Accepted Masons, his membership dat-
ing back for twenty-three years ; mem-
ber of Washington Chapter, Royal Arch
Masons ; Clinton Commandery, Knights
Templar; Lafayette Consistory, Sublime
Princes of the Royal Secret ; and Pyra-
mid Temple, Ancient Arabic Order No-
bles of the Mystic Shrine, the last two
named being of Bridgeport. He is a
member of the Improved Order of Red
Men, and of Our Brothers Lodge, Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows. Masonic
work has always claimed his devoted at-
tention, and in 1920 he performed a signal
service for the local lodge. Since the
erection of the Masonic building in 1886,
St. John's Lodge, No. 6, had occupied the
top floor, and with the purchase of the
property early in 1920 by the Central
Trust Company the lodge faced the prob-
lems of paying a greatly increased rental
or finding new quarters. Mr. Lynes pro-
posed that the building that had formerly
been the Chapel of the Holy Saviour,
maintained by St. Paul's Episcopal
Church, be purchased. The wisdom of
the plan and the possibility of securing
sufficient funds were doubted by many,
but Mr. Lynes' energetic enthusiasm won
the day and St. John's Temple Associa-
tion was organized with him as president.
He led in the campaign for subscriptions,
worked tirelessly in planning the large
fair that yielded welcome proceeds, and
finally was able to announce to his fellow
members, on behalf of his associates in
the financial drive, that the required
amount had been raised and that the
lodge owned a new home. In expression
of their appreciation of his leadership in
this project, his brother Masons, at an
open meeting in connection with the dedi-
cation of the temple, presented him with
a handsome gold watch, chain and pen-
dant. Mr. Lynes attends St. Paul's Epis-
copal Church and aids in the support of
its good works.
(The Maltby Line).
(I) William Maltby, the ancestor, was
one of the most prominent men of Bran-
ford, Connecticut, and died September 1,
1710. He held many important offices,
serving as magistrate and as representa-
tive to the General Court. He married
Abigail Bishop, born in New Haven, Oc-
tober 30, 1659, died October 24, 1710,
daughter of Deputy Governor James
Bishop, of Connecticut, and his wife,
Mary (Lamberton) Bishop, daughter of
Master Lamberton, of the phantom ship.
(II) Jonathan Maltby, sixth child of
William and Abigail (Bishop) Maltby,
was born in Branford, Connecticut, July
26, 1698. He married, in Stamford, Sep-
tember 25, 1719, Sarah Potter, born Au-
gust 22, 1690, daughter of John and Sarah
(Selleck) Potter. The parents of Sarah
(Selleck) Potter were John and Sarah
(Law) Selleck. Sarah (Law) Selleck
was a daughter of Richard and Margaret
(Kilbourne) Law.
(III) Jonathan (2) Maltby, eldest
child of Jonathan (1) and Sarah (Potter)
Maltby, was born June 29, 1720. He mar-
ried Abigail Holmes, of Greenwich, and
their only child was Jonathan, of whom
further.
(IV) Captain Jonathan (3) Maltby, son
of Jonathan (2) and Abigail (Holmes)
Maltby, was born December 17, 1744. He
was a sea captain in the East Indies
trade, and lived in one of the historic
62
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
houses named in the "History of Fair-
field County" as "Colonial No. 4." This
house was built in 1766 by Isaac Tucker,
who sold it to Captain Maltby, by whom
it was occupied during the Revolution,
being one of the few left standing at the
burning of Fairfield. Henry Rowland, a
grandson, in writing some reminiscences,
states : "Grandfather Maltby's house was
reserved as a cook house. After the con-
flagration, when the British had gone
aboard their ships the inhabitants re-
turned. Grandfather Maltby, on return-
ing to his house, found all their valuable
china scooped off the shelves to the floor
and broken to pieces, and everything up-
side down. In the kitchen fire-place hung
a large brass kettle filled with their hams,
but they dared not eat them, fearing they
were poisoned, so they started anew with
provisions." Captain Maltby's son, Wil-
liam Maltby, inherited the place and sold
it to Justice Hobart. The house is still
standing in good condition (1921). Jon-
athan (3) Maltby was first lieutenant of
the "Trumbull," one of the first cruisers
built for the Continental navy, Dudley
Saltonstall, commander. She went into
service about April, 1780, carrying twen-
ty-eight guns and a crew of two hundred.
Her first engagement under Captain
Nicholson occurred June 2nd of the same
year with the "Watt" ("Wasp?"), an
English letter-of-marque, under Captain
Colehart. She carried thirty-four guns
and two hundred and fifty men. The
"Watt" was a private vessel with a cargo
of great value, and was especially
equipped to fight her way. This was the
first action of any moment that occurred
in 1780, and was known as the most ob-
stinate and sanguinary naval battle during
the Revolution. The "Trumbull," being
badly disabled, failed to capture the
"Watt," although she defeated her. The
next summer, 1781, she left the Delaware,
still under Captain Nicholson, having
been thoroughly equipped as convoy to
twenty-eight sail of merchant craft bound
for Cape Francois, West Indies. Off the
capes the "Trumbull" met three British
cruisers astern. Two of them, one a
frigate, stood for the "Trumbull," which
ship, by hauling up, gained the wind of
them. While standing on in this man-
ner, hoping for the darkness, which was
fast approaching, a gale carried away the
"Trumbull's" foretopmast, which in fall-
ing brought down the main-gallantmast.
She was otherwise disabled and, night
coming on, was unable to clear up the
wreck. At ten o'clock the "Iris," thirty-
two guns, one of the vessels in chase,
closed with her and forced her to combat.
In the midst of rain and tempestuous
winds, Captain Nicholson found himself
obligated to go to quarters or to strike
without resistance. He preferred to do
the first, but the English volunteers on
board, instead of obeying orders, went be-
low, extinguished lights, and secreted
themselves. Nearly half the remaining
men followed their example, and Captain
Nicholson could not muster even fifty
of the diminished crew he had at the
guns. The battle that followed might be
said to have been fought by the officers.
These brave men, sustained by a party
of petty officers and seamen, manned a
few of the big guns for more than an hour,
and when the "General Monk," eighteen
guns, came up and joined in the fire of the
"Iris," the "Trumbull" submitted. The
"Trumbull," after her capture, was towed
into New York Harbor and condemned.
Though unsuccessful in her battles, she
still fought two of the most famous fights
that took place on the ocean during the
exciting times of the Revolution. Jon-
athan Maltby was afterward appointed
master of the "Argus," a cutter in the
service of the United States for the pro-
63
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
tection of the revenue. The commission
of Jonathan Maltby as lieutenant is dated
October 12, 1776, and is signed by John
Hancock. His commission as captain is
dated March 21, 1791, and is signed by
George Washington. In December, 1775,
Lieutenant Jonathan Maltby was on the
"Alfred," its captain, Dudley Saltonstall ;
first lieutenant, John Paul Jones; and sec-
ond lieutenant, Jonathan Maltby.
Captain Jonathan (3) Maltby married,
October 23, 1768, Elizabeth Allen, born
in Fairfield, Connecticut, April 13, 1749,
daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel David
and Sarah (Gold) Allen, of Fairfield.
Their daughter, Hannah, married Stephen
Coley Lynes (see Lynes VI). Elizabeth
(Allen) Maltby was a great-granddaugh-
ter of Lieutenant Gideon Allen, and a
granddaughter of Gideon Allen, Jr., born
about 1675, married Annah Burr, born
1675, daughter of Nathaniel and Sarah
(Ward) Burr. Nathaniel Burr was a son
of John Burr, and died February 26, 1712.
John Burr was born in England about
1600, and died in Fairfield, Connecticut,
in 1670. Sarah (Ward) Burr was the
daughter of Andrew and Esther Ward.
Andrew Ward was a freeman in 1634, and
with Ludlow and others had a commis-
sion from Massachusetts to govern the
people of Connecticut for one year, yet
the date of his removal to Stamford is
1641 and he was probably governor until
that time. Sarah (Gold) Allen was a
daughter of John and Joanna (Hawley)
Gold, granddaughter of Hon. Nathan
Gold. The latter lived in Fairfield. He
married Hannah Talcott. Their son,
John Gold, married (first) Hannah Slaw-
son ; (second) Johannah (Joanna) Haw-
ley. Hon. Nathan Gold was the son of
Major Nathan Gold, who came from St.
Edmundsbury, England, to Fairfield,
Connecticut, in the reign of Charles II.
and became a landholder in Fairfield in
1649.
WHEELER, Arthur Canfield,
Manufacturer, Publisher, Man of Affair*.
In a busy career that has included val-
uable public service in addition to pro-
ductive private activity, Arthur Canfield
Wheeler has been prominently known in
Norwalk, Connecticut, his birthplace, as
manufacturer, publisher, and man of af-
fairs, while the full circle of his relation-
ships has brought him into touch with all
the best interests of his city. He is a
member of an old New England family,
son of Charles Henry and Ann Eliza
(Canfield) Wheeler, grandson of Benja-
min and Permelia (Bouton) Wheeler,
and great-grandson of Simeon Wheeler,
of Wilton, Connecticut.
(I) Benjamin Wheeler, grandfather of
Arthur C. Wheeler, was born June 17,
1801, died January 12, 1880. He was the
owner of a saw and grist mill. He was a
devout Methodist. He married, January
3, 1819, Permelia Bouton, born in Ridge-
field, Connecticut, February 16, 1798,
daughter of Jesse and Sally (Bouton)
Bouton. The Bouton family descends
from John Bouton, believed to have been
a son of Count Nicholas Bouton. He was
a Huguenot and during the great per-
secution fled to England and from there
to America about 1635. He married
(first) Joan Turney, (second) Abigail
Marvin, (third) Mrs. Mary Stevenson.
The line descends through his son, Jo-
seph, and Mary, his wife; their son Joa-
chin (or Jakin), who had the title of cap-
tain and marched with General Montgom-
ery against Quebec ; his son, Ebenezer,
and Abigail, his wife ; their son, Jesse, and
Rachel, his wife ; their son, Jesse, father
of Permelia Bouton, wife of Benjamin
Wheeler. Children of Benjamin and Per-
melia (Bouton) Wheeler: 1. Betsey, born
December 10, 1821, died May 14, 1888;
married Rev. Alonzo B. Pulling. 2.
64
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Charles Henry, of whom further. 3. John
B., born about 1839, died in October, 191 1.
(II) Charles Henry Wheeler, son of Ben-
jamin and Permelia (Bouton) Wheeler,
was born in Ridgefield, Connecticut, Au-
gust 26, 1829, and died April 1, 1899.
He was educated in Amenia (New York)
Seminary, and as a young man taught
school in Wilton, Connecticut, and Lewis-
boro, New York, and for a number of
years was head of a private school in
Norwalk, Connecticut. His talent for
teaching was a natural gift, love of his
calling and orderly, logical methods of
instruction combining to make his work
in the classroom inspiring and effec-
tive. Poor health caused his retirement
from the profession he so ably repre-
sented, and he became a foreman in the
hat factory of Beatty Brothers, remain-
ing there until his death. He was a Re-
publican in politics, and gave public-
spirited service to his town in numerous
capacities, filling the office of first select-
man of Norwalk from 1884 to 1890, and
also that of school director. He married,
in Lewisboro, New York, April 13, 1854,
Ann Eliza Canfield, born July 12, 1833,
died May 16, 1909, daughter of Daniel and
Sally Canfield. Both Charles H. Wheeler
and his wife were members of the Meth-
odist Episcopal church, Mr. Wheeler a
member of the official board of the South
Norwalk congregation, serving as clerk
for a number of years and also as Sun-
day school teacher and superintendent.
Children: 1. Mary Evelyn, born January
31, 1855 ; married, in September, 1880,
Seaman W. Haines (deceased), of Led-
yard, New York, and she now resides in
Chula Vista, California. 2. Arthur Can-
field, of whom further. 3. Carrie Viola,
born October 28, 1858; married, in June,
1881, Charles W. Littell.
(III) Arthur Canfield Wheeler, son of
Charles Henry and Ann Eliza (Canfield)
Coon — 8 — S
Wheeler, was born in Norwalk, Connec-
ticut, August 26, 1856. His father was
his first educational mentor, and he was
subsequently a student in the Norwalk
public schools. As a youth of fourteen
years he became office boy in the employ
of Beatty Brothers, and the twenty years
of his association with this firm wit-
nessed his steady advance through all de-
partments of the business to the position
of confidential clerk in charge of the
firm's bookkeeping and financial affairs.
In 1888 the Beatty brothers retired from
active life and Mr. Wheeler succeeded
to ownership of the enterprise, which he
conducted prosperously until 1891. In
that year he sold it to Vanderhoef & Com-
pany, retaining a part interest, and re-
maining in charge as manager and co-
director until the liquidation of the busi-
ness in 1916.
Mr. Wheeler is president of the Hour
Publishing Company, owners of the "Nor-
walk Hour," a newspaper known through-
out New England journalism as one of
the best published in cities of Norwalk's
size. Mr. Wheeler has been the principal
stockholder of this company since 1903,
and has been an influential factor in its
upbuilding to its present high standing.
Among his official business connections
are directorships in the National Bank of
Norwalk and the Fairfield County Sav-
ings Bank. He is also president of the
Germ-Proof Cup Corporation, a concern
whose sturdy growth promises a most
successful continuance.
Mr. Wheeler has been a lifelong Repub-
lican, and has been placed as his party's
candidate in several places of responsi-
bility and trust. When Norwalk was a
borough he served as a burgess, and in
1893, when incorporation was made as a
city, he became a member of the first City
Council, and as chairman of the commit-
tee on lights made the ten year contract
65
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
for city lighting. In 1895 ne was elected
mayor, reelected in 1896, and during
his administration accomplished, among
other commendable works, the widening
of Wall street, the widening of the bridge
by eight or ten feet, and the laying of
brick paving. For many years prior to
his retirement from office, about 1916, Mr.
Wheeler was chairman of the School
Board, his total service covering a period
of nearly twenty-five years.
His fraternal affiliations are with the
Masonic order and the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows. He is a member of St.
John's Lodge, No. 6, Free and Accepted
Masons, of which he is past master, and
he is past grand master of the Grand
Lodge of Connecticut, and a member of
the Past Grand Masters' Association. He
is past high priest of Washington Chap-
ter, Royal Arch Masons; a member and
past commander of Clinton Commandery,
No. 3, Knights Templar, of Norwalk ; past
grand commander of the Grand Com-
mandery, and member of the Grand En-
campment of the United States. He is
also a member of Lafayette Consistory,
Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret ; and
Pyramid Temple, Ancient Arabic Order
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Bridge-
port. In the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows he has been likewise active, and is
a past grand of Our Brothers Lodge, past
chief patriarch of Kabosa Encampment,
and past grand patriarch of the Grand En-
campment of Connecticut, holding the
last named office in 1899. His fraternal
relations have been treasured by him for
their principles and symbolisms, and for
their close fellowship in the pursuit of
worthy aims. Mr. Wheeler is a member
of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and has
been a vestryman for many years. He
has been a member of the council of the
Nation-wide Campaign, and a member of
the executive committee, the finance and
budget committees, and the local com-
mittee. The work of the denomination
has always received a generous share of
his time, and with his influence and his
means he has furthered all of its activities.
Mr. Wheeler married, June 23, 1880,
Susie Cousins, born in Darien, Connecti-
cut, daughter of Thomas Cousins, born
in England, who came to the United
States in 1850 and was for a time a resi-
dent of Brooklyn, New York, later en-
gaging in shoe manufacture in Norwalk.
Children: 1. Ernest Cousins, born Sep-
tember 30, 1885 ; a member of the firm of
J. & T. Cousins Shoe Company, of Brook-
lyn, New York ; married Edna A. Aus-
tin. 2. Harold Arthur, born June 10,
1891 ; married Margaret Heath Lane, of
South Norwalk, and they have one child,
Frederick Arthur, born December 13,
1916.
This is the record, in outline, of the
work of Arthur C. Wheeler, of Norwalk.
It has been performed in honor, with
profit to splendid causes, and his commu-
nity continues the beneficiary of his pub-
lic-spirited, progressive endeavor.
THOMAS, Edward James,
Journalist.
The Norwalk "Hour," ranking as one
of the leading newspapers of New Eng-
land in a city of Xorwalk's class, has for
two decades had as its publisher Edward
James Thomas, who is also treasurer and
manager of the Hour Publishing Com-
pany.
Mr. Thomas is a son of James Thomas,
his family of Welsh descent, tradition
being that the Thomas line are direct
descendants of Sir Rhys ap Thomas, K. G.,
who was a lineal descendant of the an-
cient kings of Wales, and whose castle
and estates were forfeited to the crown
during the reign of Henry the Eighth.
66
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Two brothers of this descent came from
Wales together, one settling in New York
and the other in New Orleans.
The census of 1790 gives Gregory
Thomas as a resident of Norwalk, Con-
necticut, having a wife and one child,
a daughter, living with him. Gregory
Thomas descended from John and Eliz-
abeth Thomas, of Fairfield, whose son,
Joseph Thomas, fought in the French and
Indian War, in 1758. (French and In-
dian War rolls, page 15 17.) Two sons of
Joseph and Phoebe (Gregory) Thomas
were Nathan and Gregory Thomas. Jo-
seph was killed in the battle of Mon-
mouth, New Jersey, June 28, 1778. Greg-
ory enlisted February 1, 1778, and at the
close of the war located in Norwalk, died
May 6, 181 1, and is buried in the old Sil-
vermine Cemetery. Among the children
of Gregory Thomas was Charles, grand-
father of Edward James Thomas. Charles
Thomas was a lumber merchant, and re-
sided for a time at Wilton, later making
Norwalk his home. Charles Thomas mar-
ried, about 1818, Sarah Crofoot, daughter
of Ebenezer and Sarah (Gregory) Cro-
foot, granddaughter of Joseph and Esther
(St. John) Crofoot, great-granddaughter
of Ebenezer Crofoot, and great-great-
granddaughter of Joseph Crofoot. Sarah
(Gregory) Crofoot, wife of Ebenezer
Crofoot, was descended from John Greg-
ory through his son, Jachin, his son, Dea-
con Matthew, his son, Ensign Matthew,
a Revolutionary soldier; and his son,
Elias Gregory, her father.
James Thomas, son of Charles and
Sarah (Crofoot) Thomas, was during his
busy and active life a sea captain and
civil engineer. He was one of the sur-
veyors for the proposed parallel railroad
in Connecticut, a project that never ma-
terialized. He married, in Norwalk, Au-
gust 15, 1863, Clara Stevens Doty, daugh-
ter of Isaac Reed Doty. (See Doty line).
Edward James Thomas, only child of
James and Clara Stevens (Doty) Thomas,
was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, Jan-
uary 21, 1870. He attended grammar
and high schools and prepared for col-
lege, but owing to serious illness in his
family was compelled to abandon his plan.
As a youth of fifteen years he became
employed in a stationery store, soon after-
ward entering the Norwalk post office in
the capacity of clerk. Later he was trans-
ferred to the South Norwalk post office
as assistant postmaster to establish the
foreign money order department and the
free delivery system in that section of the
city. His initiative and ability attracted
the favorable attention of James Golden,
editor of the South Norwalk "Sentinel,"
and he offered Mr. Thomas a position as
reporter for Norwalk, which was ac-
cepted. He afterward became a member
of the reportorial staff of the Danbury
"News," then returned to Norwalk and
the service of the "Sentinel." During this
period he represented the Associated
Press and contributed articles to several
leading New York newspapers, including
numerous illustrated feature articles for
the Sunday editions. Mr. Thomas re-
mained with the "Sentinel" until Febru-
ary 27, 1901, when he became associated
with the company which purchased the
control of the Norwalk "Hour," then
owned by the estate of Brainard W.
Maples. The "Hour" has been, insofar
as a single interest can be said to have
occupied him, his life work, and his able,
devoted service as publisher, treasurer
and manager has been responsible in no
small measure for its strong, influential
position of the present day. Mr. Thomas
has been for a number of years vice-
president of the Connecticut Daily News-
paper Association. He is also a member
of the National Editorial Association, the
Connecticut Editorial Association, the In-
67
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
ternational Circulation Managers, the
American Newspaper Publishers' Asso-
ciation, the New England Alliance of
Daily Newspapers, and the Employing
Printers of Connecticut. In all of these
he has been active through committee
service, and has cooperated heartily in
their work.
In other associations that are distinc-
tively Norwalk's, Mr. Thomas has like-
wise taken a leading part. He was one
of the fathers of the Fourth of July Mar-
di Gras, an annual institution that has
made Norwalk noted throughout the State
for her Independence Day celebration.
He was an organizer of the Alpha Wheel
Club, an organization that gained fame
far beyond the confines of Norwalk. Mr.
Thomas has always been a Republican,
and although he has always held decided
views on public affairs and issues, has
never entered public life. Norwalk has
had no more loyal champion than he, and
all causes advancing the prosperity and
welfare of his city number him among
their energetic supporters. He is a Ma-
son in fraternal affiliation, holding the
thirty-second degree, and is a member of
St. John's Lodge, Free and Accepted Ma-
sons ; Washington Chapter, Royal Arch
Masons ; Clinton Commandery, Knights
Templar, all of Norwalk: and Lafayette
Consistory, Sovereign Princes of the
Royal Secret ; and Pyramid Temple,
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, both of
Bridgeport. In the days of the popular-
ity of the bicycle, Mr. Thomas was an ex-
pert cyclist. He has always been fond
of out-door recreation, and with the in-
troduction of the automobile was an early
owner, now an enthusiastic motorist. For
forty years he has been a member of the
Norwalk Methodist Episcopal Church.
He is a member of the Norwalk Club and
the Craftsmen's Club.
Mr. Thomas married, in Norwalk, April
8, 1891, Nellie May Kellogg, daughter of
Martin (3) and Jennie (Pooley) Kellogg.
(See Kellogg line).
(The Doty Line).
Abner Doty, parents' names not known,
was probably descended from Isaac Doty,
the first of that name from Oyster Bay,
Long Island. Abner was a farmer and
lived at Southeast, Putnam county, New
York. He died about 1797. Among his
children was Abner.
Abner (2) Doty, son of Abner (1) Doty,
was born at Southeast, Putnam county,
New York, about 1781, and died about
1822. He lived at Southeast, Mount
Washington, and Amenia. He married,
at Southeast, in 1802, Esther Reed, daugh-
ter of Daniel Reed. Among his children
was Isaac Reed.
Isaac Reed Doty, son of Abner (2) and
Esther (Reed) Doty, was born in Mount
Washington, Dutchess county, New York,
June 13, 1813, and lived in Norwalk, Con-
necticut, where he died April 23, 1882.
The following is quoted from an obituary
notice: "He was a man of earnest nature,
firm in his convictions, and could not be
swerved from what he believed to be his
duty. He served the town for many years
as constable and grand juror. He was a
hard working and cautious business man."
He married, in Norwalk, Connecticut,
April 2, 1834, Mary Ann Disbrow, born
September 12, 1812, daughter of Phineas
Sherwood and Rhuamy (Murray) Dis-
brow. They were the parents of Clara
Stevens Doty, born December 17, 1839,
who married James Thomas.
(The Kellogg Line).
According to family tradition. Great
Britain was the original home of the Kel-
logg family, and there are a number of
legends to that effect. The most general
is that advanced by Hon. Day Otis Kel-
logg, formerly United States Consul at
68
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Glasgow, and one of the earliest collec-
tors of Kellogg data. He relates the tra-
dition that the Kelloggs were partisans
of James VI., of Scotland, and came with
him to England when he ascended the
British throne, and remained there until
their settlement in New England. He
says that the name is derived from two
Gaelic words, kill, a cemetery, and loch, a
lake, that is, the "Family of the Lake
Cemetery." The name is found in old
English records as early as 1420, and
County Essex, England, is the earliest
home of the Kelloggs. In the Lay Subsidy
Rolls of Debben, County Essex, January,
1525, Nicholas Kellogg, of Debben, and
William Debben are taxed on "mov-
ables."
Nicholas Kellogg was born about 1488,
and was buried at Debben, May 17, 1558.
He married Florence Hall, daughter of
William Hall ; she was buried November
8, 1571. Among their children was Tho-
mas.
Thomas Kellogg, son of Nicholas and
Florence (Hall) Kellogg, resided in Deb-
ben.
Phillipe Kellogg, the first English an-
cestor from whom the Kelloggs of the
New World can with certainty trace their
descent, was probably the son of Thomas,
and grandson of Nicholas. Among his
children was Martin.
Martin Kellogg, son of Phillipe Kel-
logg, was baptized at Great Leighs, No-
vember 23, 1595. He married, in County
Hertford, October 22, 1621, Prudence Bird,
daughter of John Bird. He died in Brain-
tree, England, between May 20, 1671,
when his will was made, and September
20, 1671, when it was proved. He was
the father of Daniel.
Daniel Kellogg, son of Martin and Pru-
dence (Bird) Kellogg, was baptized in
Great Leighs, England, February 6, 1630,
and died in 1688. It is not known exactly
when he came to New England. He was
one of the early settlers of Norwalk, Con-
necticut, which was incorporated Septem-
ber 11, 1651. He was selectman, 1670;
representative to the General Court, 1670-
1672-74-75-77-79-80-83. He married Brid-
get Bouton, daughter of John, Sr. and
Alice Bouton ; she died in 1698. Among
their nine children was Daniel (2).
Daniel (2) Kellogg, son of Daniel (1)
and Bridget (Bouton) Kellogg, was born
in Norwalk, Connecticut, May 7, 1671.
It is not known whom he married. He
died at Norwalk before July 28, 1709, as
his estate, valued at £504, was appraised
on that date. His eldest child was Dan-
id (3).
Daniel (3) Kellogg, son of Daniel (2)
Kellogg, was born at Norwalk, May 7,
1698, died 1762. He married, in Hunting-
ton, Long Island, Eunice Jarvis, of that
town, born 1703, died 1767, daughter of
Thomas Jarvis. They had eight children.
Jarvis Kellogg, son of Daniel (3) and
Eunice (Jarvis) Kellogg, was born at
Norwalk, in 1731, died March 22, 1815.
.He was a farmer, lived in Norwalk, and
served in Lieutenant Carter's company
in the Revolution. He married (first)
January 10, 1760, Elizabeth Smith, who
died in 1778. He married (second) in
1781, Hannah Meeker, who died in 1832.
Deacon Jarvis (2) Kellogg, son of Jar-
vis (1) and Elizabeth (Smith) Kellogg,
was born at Norwalk, April 20, 1768, and
died July 18, 1831. He married in 1792,
Mercy Selleck, born June 12, 1770, died in
1850, daughter of Captain James Selleck,
a Revolutionary soldier.
Martin (2) Kellogg, son of Deacon Jar-
vis (2) and Mercy (Selleck) Kellogg, was
born at Norwalk, July 3, 1808, and died
May 14, 1867. He resided in Norwalk,
New Canaan, Connecticut, and Bedford,
New York. He married (first) October
15, 1828, Jane Gray, born in 1809, died
69
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
in 1840, daughter of Stiles and Helena
Gray. He married (second) Clarissa Jane
Lockwood, daughter of Pelegand Clarissa
(Dann) Lockwood.
Martin (3) Kellogg, son of Martin (2)
and Clarissa Jane (Lockwood) Kellogg,
was born October 19, 1846. He was street
commissioner of Norwalk. He married,
at New Canaan, Connecticut, June 2J,
1867, Jennie Pooley, born at Huntington,
Long Island, August 17, 1852, daughter
of James and Maria Jane Pooley. He
was the father of Nellie May Kellogg,
born at Norwalk, April 24, 1873; married,
in Norwalk, April 8, 1891, Edward James
Thomas (see Thomas line).
NEILSON, Howard Stout,
Physician, Served in World 'War.
Two brothers named Neilson emigrated
to America from Belfast, Ireland, in the
early part of the eighteenth century.
Their father, John Neilson, was a cele-
brated surgeon of Dublin, and was pro-
fessor of surgery in the medical depart-
ment of the University of Dublin. This
university was founded in 1591 and has
a single college, Trinity. There was a
monument erected to Dr. John Neilson in
Dublin, which was recently destroyed in
Sinn Fein riots. James Neilson, who
came first, established himself in New
Brunswick, New Jersey. He was wealthy,
was a trader, and had vessels sailing to
Belfast, Madeira, and the West Indies.
He was a judge, a member of Council, and
a warm friend of the Revolution. He
married and left no issue.
(I) Dr. John Neilson, younger brother
of James Neilson, born 1717, was a phy-
sician, and died March 19, 1745. He mar-
ried Catherine Coeymans, of Coeymans
Manor, below Albany, New York. Chil-
dren : Gertrude ; John, of whom further.
(II) John (2) Neilson, son of Dr. John
(1) and Catherine (Coeymans) Neilson,
was born March 11, 1745, on the old home-
stead of the New Jersey branch of the
Coeymans, on the Raritan river, near
Somerville, New Jersey, and died in New
Brunswick, March 3, 1833. He was edu-
cated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, then
went to live in New Brunswick, New Jer-
sey, with his uncle, James Neilson. At
the outbreak of the Revolution John Neil-
son raised a company of volunteers, and
was made captain. He was in the expedi-
tion to the east end of Long Island to
disarm Tories. On August 31, 1775, he
was commissioned colonel, and August i,
1776, commanded the First Regiment of
Infantry of his county. In December of
that year he planned a surprise attack on
the British quartered on Bennett's Island,
which was made the following February
18th, and was brilliantly successful. In
1780 he was deputy quartermaster-gen-
eral of New Jersey. The following is
quoted from the Daughters of the Amer-
ican Revolution Lineage Book, No. 16,345 :
"General John Neilson, born 1745, died
1833, served as colonel with minute men,
I775! brigadier-general of militia, 1777;
deputy quartermaster-general at close of
war. Lafayette presented him with a
sword. He was born in New Brunswick,
died there ; married Catherine Voorhees."
After the war he was one of the state
convention which ratified the constitution.
He retired to private life and resumed
mercantile business, and in civil life long
exerted a commanding influence. A
street in New Brunswick is called Neilson
street, and a military company assumed
the title "Neilson Guards." General Neil-
son was one of the most distinguished
and influential men of New Brunswick.
When the Declaration of Independence
was brought from Philadelphia he read it
to an assembled multitude in the streets
of New Brunswick. He was one of the
70
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
early members of the board of trustees
of the Theological Seminary of New
Brunswick. He was married, December
31, 1768, to Catherine Voorhees (see Van
Voorhees line). John and Catherine
(Voorhees) Neilson were the parents of:
1. Joanna, born July 30, 1771, died 1773.
2. John, born April 3, 1775, married, 1798,
Abigail Bleecker. 3. Joanna, born Janu-
ary 26, 1777, died 1781. 4. Gertrude, born
April 25, 1780, died 1863; married George
Spofford Woodhull. 5. Catherine, born
March 28, 1783; married, in 1804, Augus-
tus Fitz Randolph. 6. James, born De-
cember 3, 1784, died 1862; married (first)
Rivini Forman ; (second) Jane Dunlap;
(third) Harriet Benedict; (fourth) Cath-
erine Bleeker. 7. Joanna, born June 7,
1786, died 1858, unmarried. 8. Abraham
Schuyler, of whom further. 9. Cornelia
Lott, born November 19, 1794, died 1797.
(III) Abraham Schuyler Neilson, son
of John (2) and Catherine (Voorhees)
Neilson, was born September 10, 1792,
and died June 30, 1861. He married, in
New Brunswick, New Jersey, June 6,
1815, Catherine Stevens Grant. Children:
William Howard, of whom further ; Mary
E., married T. Robinson Warren ; prob-
ably others.
(IV) William Howard Neilson, son of
Abraham Schuyler and Catherine Stevens
(Grant) Neilson, was born January 12,
1820. He married Hannah Maria Hoover.
They were the parents of Charles Hoover,
of whom further.
(V) Charles Hoover Neilson, son of
William Howard and Hannah Maria
(Hoover) Neilson, was married, October
7, 1873, to Kate Strandley Pritchard (see
Pritchard line). Their son, Howard
Stout, of whom further. Mrs. Neilson
married (second) William H. Bishop.
(VI) Howard Stout Neilson, son of
Charles Hoover and Kate Strandley
(Pritchard) Neilson, was born in New
York City, August 30, 1874. He pre-
pared for college at Peekskill Academy,
and then entered the New York Homoeo-
pathic Medical College and Hospital,
whence he was graduated M. D. in 1895.
At graduation he received the honorary
mention medal for his thesis on fractures
and dislocations, and while at college he
served as surgical editor of the "Chiron-
ian." He was an interne at the Flower
Hospital in 1895-96, demonstrator of an-
atomy from 1896 to 1901, lecturer on
pathology from 1900 to 1902, and chief
demonstrator of pathology in 1903. In
the last named year he resigned from the
faculty and withdrew from medical prac-
tice.
Dr. Neilson was one of the organizers
of the Home Bank and Trust Company of
Darien, and was its vice-president from
its founding until 1920, when he suc-
ceeded to the presidency of the institution,
his present office. He became a resident
of Darien in 1903, and in 1906 built one of
the finest residences of this section of the
State. His estate is named "Althea
Farm," and here he has for eighteen years
given much time and attention to the
breeding of blooded horses, having for
some time past centered his efforts on
Arab and Arab-thoroughbred cross. He
has exhibited the best of his stables at
numerous horse shows in the East, and
his work is well known among breeders.
On March 28, 1917, Dr. Neilson was
commissioned captain in the remount
service of the United States army, and
while on duty in the United States pur-
chased thousands of horses for army use,
traveling to all parts of the country on
this mission. He was ordered to France
in March, 1918, commissioned major, Sep-
tember 5, 1918, and remained on active
duty until February 21, 1919. He was
appointed a member of the Remount
Board by special order No. 65, War De-
71
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
partment, May 17, 1919. On December
19, 1919, commissioned lieutenant-colonel
in Reserve Corps, Remount Section.
Dr. Neilson was one of the founders of
the Alpha Sigma fraternity, and a member
of the Connecticut State Board of Agri-
culture ; Connecticut State Welfare Com-
mission ; Darien School Board ; Breeding
Committee United States Remount Asso-
ciation ; Army and Navy Club of Amer-
ica ; Grolier Club, New York ; Bibliophile
Society, Boston ; secretary-treasurer Ara-
bian Horse Club of America; member
Arab Horse Club of England ; Hackney
Horse Society ; National Pony Breeders'
Association, England ; Morgan Horse
Club ; Horse Association of America ;
American Jersey Cattle Club ; New Eng-
land Shorthorn Breeders' Association;
New England Dairymen's Association;
Hampshire Swine Breeders' Association ;
New York Zoological Society ; Stamford
Yacht Club ; Woodway Country Club.
Dr. Neilson married, June 4, 1901, Jane
Wallace Piatt, daughter of Isaac Stephen
and Mary Jane (Redfield) Piatt (see Piatt
and Redfield lines). Isaac S. Piatt is a
member of the New York Chamber of
Commerce. Children : Jane Wallace and
Katharine Bishop (twins), born April 8,
1902 ; Wallace Piatt, born November 24,
1903 ; Marion Redfield, born February 9,
1907; Edith Howard, born November 17,
i9r3-
(The Van Voorhees Line).
(I) Stephen (Steven) Coert Van Voor-
hees was born in Hees, Holland, in 1600,
emigrated to America in 1660, settling in
Flatlands, Long Island, and died there in
1684. He married in Holland, and among
his children was Lucas Stevense, of whom
further.
(II) Lucas Stevense Van Voorhees,
son of Stephen Coert Van Voorhees, was
born in 1650. He married (first) Cath-
erine Hansen Van Noortstrand, daugh-
ter of Hans and Jannecken Gerritse
Van Loon; (second), in 1689, Jannetje
Minnes ; (third), in 1703, Catherine Van
Dyck. Among his children was Jan Lu-
casse, of whom further.
(III) Jan Lucasse Van Voorhees, son
of Lucas Stevense and Catherine Hansen
(Van Noortstrand) Van Voorhees, was
baptized February 19, 1675. He married
(first) Ann Van Duyckhuysen, daughter
of Jan Teunnisen and Agatha (StoothofT)
Van Duyckhuysen; (second) in 1704,
Mayke R. Schenck. Among his children
was Johannis, of whom further.
(IV) Johannis Van Voorhees, son of
Jan Lucasse and Ann (Van Duyckhuysen)
Van Voorhees, was born July 19, 1700
and died in 1733. He married, in 1721,
Sara Schenck, daughter of Jan Rolofse
and Sara (Kouwenhoven) Schenck, and
among his children was Johannis, of
whom further.
(V) Johannis (2) Van Voorhees, son
of Johannis (1) and Sara (Schenck) Van
Voorhees, was born November 18, 1729,
and died in 1802. He was a minuteman
in the Middlesex, New Jersey, militia. He
married Catherine Schuyler, born 1733,
died 1782.
(VI) Catherine Voorhees (Van Voor-
hees), daughter of Johannis (2) and
Catherine (Schuyler) Van Voorhees, was
born December 25, 1753, and died August
2, 1816. She married. December 31, 1768,
Colonel John Neilson (q. v.).
(The Tritchard Line).
(I) James Pritchard, of Prowley, Eng-
land, was born in London, February 2,
1788, died in New York, January 30, 1823,
and was buried in St. Paul's Churchyard.
He was an actor of note. He married,
July 24, 181 1, Catrina Lewis (see Lewis
and Van Benschoten lines). She died of
cholera in La Grange, Dutchess county,
New York, September 10, 1846, and was
buried in Freedom Plains Churchyard.
72
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Children, born in New York City: John
Nicholas, of whom further; William Ed-
ward, born November 15, 1815, died
young; James William, born January 17,
1817, killed November 20, 1834, married
Caroline Turnbull.
(II) John Nicholas Pritchard, son of
James and Catrina (Lewis). Pritchard,
was born in New York, July 13, 1812, and
died in Baltimore, Maryland, August 19,
1888. He was in the banking business in
early life, but for the last forty years of
his life was president of the Lumbermen's
& Mechanics' Insurance Company of St.
Louis, Missouri. He organized the Na-
tional Guard of St. Louis, was captain
of the first company, afterwards colonel
of the regiment. He married, July 28,
1835, Amelia J. Stubbs, born in George-
town, Maryland, July 26, 1813, died in
New York, August 20, 1890. Children:
James, born October 21, 1836; Fannie I.,
born June 17, 1838, married, 1859, William
Tod Helmuth ; Katherine Strandley, of
whom further ; Nicholas W. R., born Sep-
tember 20, 1856, died April 20, 1861.
(III) Katherine Strandley Pritchard,
daughter of John Nicholas and Amelia J.
(Stubbs) Pritchard, was born October
17, 1849. She married (first) Charles
Hoover Neilson (see Neilson line). She
married (second) William H. Bishop.
(The Lewis Line).
(I) Leonard Lewis married, November
16, 1688, Elizabeth Hardenburg. He re-
moved to Poughkeepsie, New York, was
colonel in the militia, and kept the first
tavern. He married Elizabeth Harden-
burg. He had son Thomas, of whom
further.
(II) Thomas Lewis, son of Leonard
and Elizabeth (Hardenburg) Lewis, was
born August 23, 1694, and died in 1766.
He married, October 4, 1714, Anna Maria
Vander Burgh. He had son Leonard, of
whom further.
(III) Leonard (2) Lewis son of Tho-
mas and Anna Maria (Vander Burgh)
Lewis, was baptized in Poughkeepsie,
July 6, 1720, and died before 1766. He
had son Thomas, of whom further.
(IV) Thomas (2) Lewis, son of Leon-
ard (2) Lewis, married, in 1776, Rachel
Van Benschoten (see Van Benschoten
line). Among his children was Catrina,
born February 19, 1779, married, July 24,
181 1, James Pritchard (see Pritchard
line).
(The Van Benschoten Line).
(I) Theunis Eliasen Van Benschoten
was in Kingston, New York, in 1671. He
died between February, 1725-26, and Feb-
ruary, 1727-28. He married Gerritje
Gerrits, parentage unknown, and had son
Elias, of whom further.
(II) Elias Van Benschoten, son of
Theunis Eliasen and Gerritje (Gerrits)
Van Benschoten, was baptized November
23, 1679, in Kingston. He married (first)
in 1705, Sarah Jans Jansen, daughter of
Jans Mattysen Jansen and Magdalena
(Blanchan) Jansen; married (second) in
1716, Catrina Keyser, daughter of Dirk
Cornelius and Agnietta (Coens) Keyser.
Among their children was Elias, of whom
further.
(III) Elias (2) Van Benschoten, son
of Elias (1) and Catrina (Keyser) Van
Benschoten, was born April 23, 1717. He
married Jaquemyntje Van Couwenhoven,
daughter of Johannes and Rachel (Ben-
son) Van Couwenhoven. Among their
children was Rachel, of whom further.
(IV) Rachel Van Benschoten, daugh-
ter of Elias (2) and Jaquemyntje (Van
Couwenhoven) Van Benschoten, was
born September 12, 1761. She married,
in 1776, Thomas Lewis (see Lewis line).
(The Piatt Line).
It is well known that the name Piatt
is frequently found in various parts of
England. Coats-of-arms have been
73
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
granted to six or seven of the family from
the time of Edward III, 1326, to the twen-
ty-first year of the reign of Queen Eliza-
beth. The first ancestor in America was
Richard Piatt, believed to have been the
"Richard, son of Joseph" baptized Sep-
tember 28, 1603, in Bovington, a village
near Hertford, England, died in Milford,
1684. He came to America in 1638,
landed in New Haven, Connecticut, and
had eighty-four acres of land in and near
New Haven. He was among the first
settlers in Milford, Connecticut, and was
deacon there in 1669. His children by
his wife Mary, who died in January, 1676,
were : Mary, probably born in England,
as were John, Isaac, of whom further, and
Sarah ; Epenetus, of whom further ; Han-
nah, baptized October 1, 1643; Josiah,
baptized 1645 ! Joseph, baptized 1649.
Isaac Piatt, son of Richard Piatt, set-
tled in Huntington, Long Island, and was
enrolled among the fifty-seven landown-
ers of that place in 1666. He was a cap-
tain of militia, and held "every office of
consequence in the gift of his townsmen."
He died July 31, 1691. He married (first)
March 12, 1640, Phebe Smith; (second)
after 1660, Elizabeth Wood, daughter of
Jonas Wood. Children : Elizabeth, born
1665 ! Jonas, born 1667; John, born 1669;
Mary, born 1674 ; Joseph, born 1677 ; Ja-
cob, born 1682 ; and others.
Epenetus Piatt, son of Richard Piatt,
born in Milford, baptized July 12, 1640,
was called captain, sometimes lieutenant,
and held many offices. He also settled in
Huntington, Long Island, and was en-
rolled among the fifty-seven landowners
of that place in 1666. He died in 1693.
He married, in 1667, Phebe Wood. Chil-
dren: Phebe, born 1669; Mary, born 1672;
Epenetus, born 1674; Hannah, born 1679;
Elizabeth, born 1682; Jonas, born 1684;
Jeremiah, born 1686; Ruth, born 1688;
Sarah, born 1692.
(I) Israel Piatt, a descendant of Epe-
netus Piatt, was born in 1738, baptized in
Huntington, Long Island, March 30, 1740,
and died of yellow fever in 1796 in New
York City. In the early part of the Revo-
lution he moved from Huntington, Long
Island, to Pleasant Valley, Dutchess
county, New York, and was a captain of
militia during the Revolution. He mar-
ried (first) Elizabeth Scudder, of Hun-
tington ; married (second) Abigail, sur-
name unknown. Children: Stephen, of
whom further; Edwin, born 1764, died
1788; Henry, baptized 1764, died young;
Sarah, married Dr. Cyrenius Crosby ;
Zilla, born 1773, married Egbert Barton;
Ruth, born 1778, married Samuel Rey-
nolds; Betsey, born 1781, died 1848, mar-
ried Ariovistus Pardee ; Harriet, born
1785, married Walter Perlee ; Nancy, born
1786, married Rufus Herrick.
(II) Stephen Piatt, son of Israel and
Elizabeth (Scudder) Piatt, was born in
Huntington, Long Island, March 28, 1762.
He removed to Freehold, Albany (now
Greene) county, New York, about 1788,
and there was drowned, December 12,
1800. He was a lieutenant in the army of
the Revolution at the age of nineteen,
later was justice of the peace, and mem-
ber of the Legislature for Albany county
from 1793 to 1795. He married (first)
Dorcas Hopkins, daughter of Roswell
Hopkins ; she died in 1790, in her twenty-
sixth year. He married (second) Lydia
Sutherland, born in 1766, died October 28,
1837. Children by first wife : Fanny, mar-
ried Charles Griggs; Abigail, married
John House; Dorcas, married Rev. Sam-
uel Robertson ; Sally, died 181 1. Children
by second wife : Harriet, married Dr. Bela
Brewster ; Isaac L., of whom further ;
Jacob S., twin of Isaac L., born April 5,
1793. married Catherine Waldron ; he
purchased property in New York City
and cut the street through which bears
74
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
his name, Piatt street, in 1834; Eliza,
married Gerard Van Schaick; Aramenta,
second wife of Gerard Van Schaick.
(III) Isaac L. Piatt, son of Stephen
and Lydia (Sutherland) Piatt, was born
April 5, 1793, and died in Plainfield, New
Jersey, October 22, 1875. He was a man-
ufacturer and importer of mirrors, and a
resident of New York City throughout
his life, being intimately connected with
several important enterprises, including
the Pennsylvania Coal Company and the
Chemical National Bank, and a director of
the latter organization. He was married,
May 6, 1816, to Marion Erskine Ruthven,
born January 1, 1796, died November 2,
1854, daughter of John Ruthven, born
1753, and had children : John R. ; Mary
Jane R., married John P. Adriance ; Sam-
uel R. ; Lydia ; Isaac Stephen, of whom
further.
(IV) Isaac Stephen Piatt, son of Isaac
L. and Marion Erskine (Ruthven) Piatt,
was born in New York City, January 5,
1834, and died there November 15, 1904.
He was educated in De Forrest's School
in New York City, early in life became
employed in a mercantile house, and later
became a member of the firm of Adriance,
Piatt & Company, manufacturers of har-
vesting machinery. With this organiza-
tion he was prominently identified
throughout his life, serving for many
years as president. He was a member of
the New York Chamber of Commerce.
He was a member of St. Andrew's Soci-
ety and the Century Club. He married,
October 16, 1866, Mary Jane Redfield,
daughter of James Starr Redfield (see
Redfield line). Children: 1. Wallace
Redfield, born December 20, 1867, died
April 29, 1887. 2. Marion Erskine, born
August 20, 1869; married Dr. Charles B.
Keeler (see Keeler line). 3. Charles How-
ard, born October 10, 1872, died Feb-
ruary 9, 1921 ; married Ida Maud South-
ack, daughter of George Southack, of New
York City ; they have one daughter, Mar-
ion Erskine. 4. Jane Wallace, born De-
cember 4, 1874; married Howard Stout
Neilson (q. v.).
(The Redfield Line).
Thus far the antecedents of the Red-
field family of America have not been
traced in England. This name, like most
other old names, has undergone a change
in spelling, its present form having for
some reason not discovered been adopted
by the second generation in this country.
The immigrant ancestor of the family was
William Redfin, and that form of the
name was spelled in various ways in the
early records as Redfen, Redfyn and Red-
fyne.
(I) The first record of William Redfin
shows him as an occupant of a house and
four acres of land on the south side of the
Charles river, about six miles from Bos-
ton, near the northwest corner of what is
now the town of Brighton. This was in
1639, and he may have located there at
an earlier date. He was one of the first
settlers upon that side of the river, and
was no doubt of English origin. He sold
the place in September, 1646. He prob-
ably joined the ranks of those who re-
moved about that time to what is now
the town of Ledyard, Connecticut. The
first positive evidence we have of his
presence there is in 1653, when he built
a house on Brewster's Neck, on land con-
veyed to him by Jonathan Brewster, May
29, 1654. He died about April or May,
1662, leaving a widow Rebecca and four
children, three of whom were daughters.
The last record we have of his widow
Rebecca is in 1667. There is evidence
to indicate that he followed the trade
of stone-mason as opportunity offered.
During the residence of the family in New
London the spelling of the name, as
75
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
shown in various documents on record,
was gradually changed to its present
form.
(II) James Redfield, son of William
and Rebecca Redfin, was born about 1646.
On April 1, 1662, he bound himself for
five years to Hugh Roberts, of New Lon-
don, to learn the trade of tanner. In May,
1669, he was married in New Haven to
Elizabeth How, born in 1645, daughter of
Jeremy How, of New Haven. Jeremy
How was a son of Edward How, one of
the early settlers of Lynn, Massachusetts,
who was admitted freeman there in 1636;
was several times chosen representative ;
was a member of the Essex Court in 1637 ;
attended the court which was convened
in Boston in March, 1639, and in April
dropped dead while on his way home.
The New Haven records show that a
daughter Elizabeth was born to James
Redfield in 1670, but he must have left
New Haven soon after, for in 1671 his
name appears as one of the inhabitants of
Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard. In 1676 he
was living with his family in Saybrook,
Connecticut, plying the trade of weaver,
and he was then recommended to the
Council of Hartford as a fit person to
reside in and care for the newly repaired
fort at the mouth of the Connecticut river.
The appointment was probably made, for
in 1683 and 1686 the town made him small
grants of land contiguous to the fort.
Here probably was born to him his son
Theophilus, in 1682, whose mother soon
after died, and before 1693 James Red-
field had removed to Fairfield, Connecti-
cut, married again, and before 1723 died.
The roving character of this ancestor is
rather remarkable. Tanner, seaman and
weaver seem to have been his successive
occupations. Born in Newtown, Massa-
chusetts, apprenticed in New London,
married in New Haven, resident for a
time in Martha's Vineyard, then in Say-
brook, and finally established in Fairfield,
where he died.
(Ill) Theophilus Redfield, son of
James and Elizabeth (How) Redfield,
was born in 1682, probably in Saybrook,
Connecticut, and died February 14, 1759.
He was a joiner by trade, and settled in
Killingworth, Connecticut, soon after be-
coming of age. In March, 1704-05, he
purchased a small piece of ground in that
part of Killingworth which was afterward
set off as Clinton. On December 24, 1706,
he married Priscilla Greenel (or Grin-
nell), the seventeen year old daughter of
Daniel and Lydia (Pabodie) Greenel, who
three years before had settled in that part
of Saybrook now known as Westbrook.
Priscilla Greenel's mother, Lydia (Pa-
bodie) Greenel, was born (according to
"The Paybody Family" by B. Frank
Pabodie), April 3, 1667, daughter of Wil-
liam Pabodie, of Duxbury, Massachu-
setts, and Little Compton, Rhode Island.
William Pabodie was born in England,
1620, and died December 13, 1707. He
married, December 26, 1644, Elizabeth
Alden, born 1624-25, "the first white
woman born in New England," that being
stated on her headstone at Little Comp-
ton, Rhode Island; she died May 31,
1717, daughter of John and Priscilla (Mul-
lins) Alden, the story of whose marriage
is immortalized in Longfellow's "Court-
ship of Miles Standish." William Pabo-
die (or Paybody) settled in Plymouth
with his father ; afterward removed to
Duxbury, where he held many offices of
trust and responsibility. He owned much
land there. He was one of those to whom
Bridgewater was set off in 1645 '< was one
of the first proprietors of Freetown in
1659; was one of the original purchasers
of Little Compton in 1675, and removed
there with his family about 1684. His
father, John Paybody, was born in Eng-
land about 1590, died in Bridgewater
76
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
about 1667 ; had a wife named Isabel. He
and his son William are named among
the original proprietors of Plymouth.
Daniel Grinnell, father of Daniel Grinnell,
mentioned above, was born in 1636, .in
Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and died at
Little Compton in 1703. He married
Mary Wodell, born November, 1640,
daughter of William and Mary Wodell.
William Wodell was in Boston at an early
date, and died in Tiverton, Rhode Island,
in 1693. In 1643, with others, he was
banished from Massachusetts for "heresy
and sedition" and returned to Ports-
mouth, Rhode Island, where they had
previously been living. In 1643 he was
granted land in Portsmouth; was com-
missioner, 1655-63 ; deputy, 1664-65-66-67-
69-70-72-73-74-75-80-8 1 -82-83-84-86. Dur-
ing these years he served on many
important committees. In 1684 he was
chosen assistant, but positively declined
to serve. Daniel Grinnell was a malster;
was made freeman in Portsmouth in 1657.
His name appears in several real estate
transactions in that town and in Little
Compton. He served on the grand jury
and as constable. His father, Matthew
Grinnell, died prior to 1643; was a resi~
dent of Newport, Rhode Island. His wife
Rose died in 1673. In 1713 James Red-
field visited his son, Theophilus, in Kil-
lingworth, and made over to him the title
tract of land in Saybrook. Soon after,
Theophilus bought a tract of land on
Chestnut Hill, in the northern portion
of Killingworth, and there he resided dur-
ing the remainder of his life. Several of
his descendants still occupy a portion of
that site. He served on many important
town committees, and was known as
"Sergeant Redfield." His widow Priscilla
survived him eleven years, and died Janu-
ary 12, 1770, aged eighty-one years. He
left nine sons and four daughters, all of
whom lived to rear families.
(IV) William (2) Redfield, son of The-
ophilus and Priscilla (Greenel or Grin-
nell) Redfield, was born in Killingworth,
Connecticut, December 5, 1727. He re-
sided for a brief time in Guilford, and
there is evidence that he then owned and
commanded a small coasting vessel, a fact
which gave him the title of captain in
later years. Retiring from that occupa-
tion he became a resident of Middletown,
Connecticut. His name is found in a list
of the inhabitants of Middletown who
in 1775 were adjudged liable to special
military service in case of sudden alarm.
In August, 1776, he was appointed second
sergeant of the First Company in one of
the regiments raised by Connecticut for
the Continental service, and in the follow-
ing year he was appointed issuing com-
missary in the same service. He is said to
have kept an inn in Middletown for a
short period, and at one time had charge
of the county jail. He was a prominent
Free Mason. He died in July, 1813, in the
eighty-sixth year of his age. He married
Elizabeth Jarcie Starr, born in Middle-
town, February 4, 1734, died about 1800.
(V) Peleg Redfield, son of William (2)
and Elizabeth Jarcie (Starr) Redfield, was
born in Middletown, Connecticut, Janu-
ary 22, 1762. About the age of fourteen
he left his home, made his way to New
London, where he joined a privateer
which soon after, meeting a vessel sup-
posed to be a British merchantman, boldly
gave it battle. A nearer approach showed
the supposed trading vessel to be a frigate
in disguise. The unfortunate privateer
had caught a tartar, and its crew were
taken to New York as prisoners. Peleg's
youth probably saved him from the hor-
rors of a prison ship. A British officer
noticed him and took a fancy to employ
him as a servant. One day this officer
with some comrades made an excursion to
Long Island to dine with a Tory family.
77
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
While the officers were feasting within,
the lad was permitted to amuse himself
without, and naturally had resource to the
fruit trees for solace. While in the top
of one of these he fell into sleep, either
real or feigned, and when the hour of de-
parture had arrived he was not to be
found. His ears were deaf to the repeated
calls, and search was in vain. Concluding
that he had escaped, the officer departed
without him. Then, descending, he man-
aged in some way to reach the eastern
part of the island and eventually found a
boat to land him in Connecticut. He
continued to follow the sea for most of
his life, and besides his frequent long
absences from home, and the fact that he
died when his oldest son was but thirteen
years of age, little is known of the details
of his life. He married, in 1788, Elizabeth
or Betsey Pratt, daughter of Jonathan
and Mary (Latham) Pratt, of Middle-
town, a descendant of John Pratt, one
of the first settlers of Hartford, and of
Cary (Latham) Pratt, one of the early
settlers of New London. Peleg Redfield
died September 10, 1802, leaving his
widow and five children. She was a
woman of strong character and earnest
faith, and died February 2, 1825. Chil-
dren: William, born March 26, 1789;
Mary, born 1791, died 1792; Samuel, born
February 14, 1793; Peleg, born April 5,
1795; Mary Latham, born November 22,
1797; James Starr, of whom further.
(VI) James Starr Redfield, son of
Peleg and Elizabeth (Pratt) Redfield,
was born December 8, 1799. He removed
to Ohio with his family in 1805, and set-
tled in Medina county. He married (first)
Mary Perkins, daughter of Josiah and
Rachel Perkins; (second) Mrs. Mary
(Mason) Rowe. Children, by his first
wife: Rachel Harris, born March 11, 1832;
William, born 1833, died 1837; James
Perkins, born March 28, 1835; Joseph
Harris, born January 18, 1837; William
Henry, born 1839, deceased; Russel B.,
born June 21, 1841 ; Mary Jane, born April
20, 1843, died November 2, 1904, lived in
New York with her aunt, Mrs. William
C. Redfield ; married, October 16, 1866,
Isaac Stephen Piatt (see Piatt line).
KEELER, Charles Bradley,
Physician, Specialist.
The record of Dr. Keeler's paternal line
begins with Ralph Keeler, one of the first
settlers of Norwalk, Connecticut, who was
born in England about 1613. The first
mention of him in America is as a lot
owner in 1640 in Hartford, whence he
moved to Norwalk about 1651. The name
of his first wife is unknown, but he mar-
ried (second), after 1651, Sarah Whipley,
widow of Henry Whipley, of Norwalk.
Children: Ralph, Jr., born about 1646;
John, of whom further; Rebecca, born
February 9, 1654, married James Pickett ;
Samuel, born 1656. married Sarah St.
John ; Elizabeth, born 1660, married Tho-
mas Morehouse ; probably Jonah
(II) John Keeler, son of Ralph and
Sarah (Whipley) Keeler, was born in
Norwalk, Connecticut, in 1652, and lived
there. His will was dated February 27,
1718-19. He married, June 18, 1679, Hit-
tabel Rockwell, daughter of John Rock-
well, of Stamford, a first settler, who
came from Dorchester, England, and
whose wife was Elizabeth (Weed) Rock-
well. Children of John and Hittabel
,(Rockwell) Keeler: John, Jr., born 1682,
married Rhoda Hoyt ; David, married
Mary St. John; Daniel, of whom further;
Elizabeth, born 1688, married a Hoyt ;
Mehittabel, married (first) Joseph Black-
ley, (second) Caleb Hoyt; Hannah, mar-
ried a Gregory ; Sarah, married a Hoyt,
sometimes spelled Hayt; Jemima; Ruth,
married, in 1727, Matthew Benedict.
78
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
(III) Daniel Keeler, son of John and
Hittabel (Rockwell) Keeler, was born in
Norwalk, Connecticut. His will was dated
November 4, 1764. He married Hannah
Whitney, born in Norwalk, November 5,
1707, daughter of John and Elizabeth
(Finch) Whitney, granddaughter of John
and Elizabeth (Smith) Whitney, great-
granddaughter of Henry Whitney, the
founder of the family in America. The
Whitney ancestry is traced to Exrog,
Knight of King Arthur's Round Table,
and the family bore arms : Azure, a cross
chequy or and sable. Children of Daniel
and Hannah (Whitney) Keeler: Daniel,
of whom further ; Hannah, born in Nor-
walk, married, December 29, 1748, Ben-
jamin Bolt; Dorothy, married, in 1750,
Abram Hoyt; Isaiah, married Melicent
Olmstead ; Lydia, baptized in 1737; Jere-
miah, born about 1740, married Elizabeth
Weed; Mary, baptized 1742, married Jo-
seph Riggs ; Dinah, baptized 1744, mar-
ried James Canfield ; John and Joseph
(twins), born 1746, John married Phebe
Hoyt; Elizabeth, baptized 1748, married
Samuel North.
(IV) Daniel (2) Keeler, son of Daniel
(1) and Hannah (Whitney) Keeler, was
born about 1730, and died December 24,
1803. He and his wife Mary joined the
church at New Canaan, August 14, 1753.
Children : Hannah, baptized in New Can-
aan, March 3, 1754, married Jachin Hoyt;
Isaac, of whom further ; David, baptized
July 19, 1761 ; Rhuama, baptized Novem-
ber 13, 1763, died 1786.
(V) Captain Isaac Keeler, son of Dan-
iel (2) and Mary Keeler, was born May
2, 1756, in Canaan parish, Norwalk, Con-
necticut, and died January 23, 1837, when
in his eighty-first year. When the Rev-
olutionary War broke out he became a
member of the Fourth Company, Sev-
enth Regiment, under Captain Joseph
Hoit, Colonel Charles Webb command-
ing, served at Winter Hill under General
Sullivan, was at Valley Forge during the
memorable winter of 1777-78, and subse-
quently took part in the battle of Mon-
mouth. On December 7, 1775, the regi-
ment was reorganized under Colonel
Webb for service in 1776, and was adopted
as a Continental organization, and Isaac
Keeler was accredited to Norwalk. His
military record is as follows : Commis-
sioned ensign in Second Regiment (for-
mation of 1777-80), January 1, 1777; sec-
ond lieutenant, February 4, 1778; first
lieutenant, August 1, 1779; quartermaster
in 1781. He was a government pensioner
and was a member of the Society of the
Cincinnati. After the war closed he com-
menced business life for himself, later re-
moving to New York City, where he re-
ceived the appointment of city marshal,
and he also served at one time as police
justice in that city. He was afterward
given a position in the custom house,
which he retained until his death. During
the War of 181 2, when New York City
was in danger of being attacked by the
British, he volunteered for three months'
service in the Veteran Corps of Revolu-
tionary soldiers to guard the arsenal, and
was made an officer in the corps. He
bravely attempted to discharge the duties
which fell to his lot with his old-time
fidelity, but the labors and exposures of
camp life proved too much for his years
and enfeebled constitution, and he con-
tracted a severe cold which developed in-
to consumption, though he lived for many
years afterward. He married (first),
September 24, 1779, Sarah St. John, born
May 11, 1755, died September 21, 1793.
He married (second), December 15, 1793,
Catherine Tuttle, born September 9, 1774.
died July 28, 1854. Children by first mar-
riage: Esther, born April 22, 1781 ; Na-
omi, born September 24, 1783, married
Stephen Ayres ; Isaac, born July 19, 1786,
79
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
died December 25, 1786; Isaac, born
May 25, 1789, married Hannah Olmsted ;
Sally, born June 16, 1791, married Peter
Crissy. Children by second marriage :
Bradley, of whom further: Edward E.,
born November 28, 1796.
(VI) Bradley Keeler, son of Captain
Isaac and Catherine (Tuttle) Keeler, was
born' September 26, 1794, in Canaan par-
ish, Norwalk, Connecticut, and died July
6, 1855. He was a carriage manufacturer
by occupation, carrying on a business in
New Canaan, where he also owned what
is now the "Birdsall House." He mar-
ried Polly Hoyt, who survived him many
years, dying April 26, 1872. Children :
Stephen Edwards, Sylvester Hoyt, and
Isaac Eldridge, of whom further.
(VII) Isaac Eldridge Keeler, son of
Bradley and Polly (Hoyt) Keeler, was
born September 8, 1826, in New Canaan,
Connecticut. He spent his earlier life
there, receiving his education in the dis-
trict schools. He learned the trade of
carriage-maker with his father, and fol-
lowed the same successfully for a num-
ber of years ; he made the celebrated
coach owned by "Tom Thumb." He was
the organizer of the Union Coach Com-
pany, of Bridgeport, and was one of its
officials for many years. In 1858 he be-
came associated with the Wheeler & Wil-
son Sewing Machine Company, in Bridge-
port, Connecticut, as superintendent of
their cabinet department, and removed to
that town, becoming one of its prominent
citizens. He was a member of the Artil-
lery Company in Bridgeport, and during
the Civil War was on home duty. He
married, February 14, 1852, Jane Todd
Porter, born February 17, 1830, daughter
of Abijah and Rhoda Porter, of Bridge-
port. Isaac E. Keeler died August 2,
1885, and his wife survived him until Jan-
uary 25, 1895. They were members of
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Bridgeport,
of which Mr. Keeler was warden for
many years. In politics he was a Repub-
lican. Children: 1. Emma, born March
4, 1855; married, April 29, 1886, Roger H.
Comstock, of Milford, Connecticut; she
died in 1908. 2. George Eldridge, born
September 30, 1861 ; resides in Spring-
dale, Connecticut; married, September 17,
1891, Annie May Warner, daughter of
Frank Warner, of Wilton, Connecticut.
3. Charles Bradley, of whom further. 4.
Benjamin Hoyt, a sketch of whom fol-
lows.
(VIII) Dr. Charles Bradley Keeler, son
of Isaac Eldridge and Jane Todd (Por-
ter) Keeler, was born July 17, 1865, in
Bridgeport, Connecticut, and there at-
tended the public schools. His studies
were interrupted by ill health and he went
West to Kansas in search of a favorable
change and climate, in 1885 entering
Hahnemann Medical College, of Chicago.
He was graduated M. D. from that insti-
tution in 1889, having worked his way
throughout his entire course, and in April
of the year of his graduation he located
in New Canaan, Connecticut. In 1914 Dr.
Keeler built and occupied a beautiful res-
idence of Colonial architecture in the ad-
joining town of Darien, and has there
continued practice. In professional activ-
ity he has specialized in the treatment of
diseases of the eye, ear, nose, and throat,
is associated with the Ophthalmic Hos-
pital of New York City, and holds re-
sponsible position in his field. He is a
member of the Ophthalmological, Otolog-
ical, and Laryngological societies, the
Fairfield County Medical Society, the
Connecticut State Homoeopathic Society,
the American Institute of Homoeopathy,
and the American Medical Association.
While a resident of New Canaan, Dr.
Keeler served as health officer of the town
and borough and as coroner's examiner.
Fraternally he is affiliated with the Ma-
80
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
sonic order and the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows, in the former holding mem-
bership in Harmony Lodge, No. 67, Free
and Accepted Masons, of New Canaan ;
Washington Chapter, Royal Arch Ma-
sons, of Norwalk ; Clinton Commandery,
No. 3, Knights Templar, of Norwalk, and
Pyramid Temple, No. 9, Ancient Arabic
Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of
Bridgeport. He is a member of the Chi-
ron Club, of New York City, whose mem-
bership is limited to twenty, the Suburban
Club, of Stamford, and the Woodway
Golf Club. Dr. Keeler has long been an
enthusiastic yachtsman, and is able to
handle any craft. He is a graduate of
Ullmark's Nautical Academy, and holds a
master's license. At one time he was
commodore of the Norwalk Yacht Club,
and he is now a member of the New York
Yacht Club, the Indian Harbor Yacht
Club, of Greenwich, and the Stamford
Yacht Club. Dr. Keeler is a member of
the Sons of the American Revolution
through the patriotic services of his great-
grandfather, Captain Isaac Keeler.
Dr. Keeler married (first) Gertrude C.
Chidley, April 24, 1889 ; she died May 22,
1907. He married (second) Ida Ashton,
February 22, 1909; she died May 10, 191 1.
He married (third), April 16, 191 2, Marion
Erskine Piatt, daughter of Isaac Stephen
and Mary Jane (Redfield) Piatt (see
Piatt line). Mrs. Keeler is a member of
the Society of Mayflower Descendants.
was born December 3, 1867. He attended
Bridgeport public schools and was later a
student in a private school, subsequently
pursuing professional studies in the Bal-
timore Dental College. New Canaan has
been his home and the scene of his prac-
tice since his graduation, and he holds
foremost position in his calling. His
clientele is large and his work is highly
appreciated in the community. Dr. Keeler
is a member of Harmony Lodge, Free
and Accepted Masons, of New Canaan,
and Wooster Lodge, Independent Order
of Odd Fellows, of New Canaan, of which
he is past grand.
Dr. Keeler married, November 6, 1889,
Elizabeth Olmstead, daughter of Lewis
and Hannah E. Olmstead, and they have
one son, Benjamin Hoyt, Jr., born March
16, 1891, in New Canaan, Connecticut; a
civil engineer of Stamford, Connecticut;
he married, October 30, 191 5. Jessie Close,
of Norwalk, Connecticut, and has two
children, Jane Howell, born April 19, 1918,
and Charles Bradley, 2nd, born March 29,
1920.
KEELER, Benjamin Hoyt,
Dentist.
A present day representative of a fam-
ily long prominent in Connecticut, Dr.
Keeler has made dentistry his profession,
following this calling in the district where
the name of Keeler has long been familiar.
Son of Isaac Eldridge and Jane Todd
(Porter) Keeler, Benamin Hoyt Keeler
Conn— 8— 6 8 1
SKELDING, Schuyler Merritt,
Active Business Man.
The five years during which Mr. Skeld-
ing has carried on business in his native
town of Stamford have sufficed to place
him high on the list of representatives of
her real estate interests. He is promi-
nent in the social and club circles of his
community, and was among those who
volunteered for service during the World
War.
The name of Skelding appears to be a
variation of the Danish name Scolding,
Scalding, derived from the Danish royal
family, the "Skioldunger," signifying de-
scendants of Skiold. Skiold, in the differ-
ent forms of the various Scandinavian
languages, signifies "a shield."
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
The Skeldings are an old family of
Stamford, records showing that they have
been established there over two hundred
years. They have always been good cit-
izens, aiding to the utmost in the devel-
opment of the interests most vital to the
progress and prosperity of the town.
(I) Thomas Skelding, the first ances-
tor of record, was of Stamford, and on
June II, 1701, married Mary Austin.
(II) Thomas (2) Skelding, son of Tho-
mas (1) and Mary (Austin) Skelding,
was born June II, 1703. On September
5, 1726, he married Mary Brown, born
October 2, 1705, daughter of Joseph and
Mary Brown. Joseph Brown, a son of
Francis Brown, married Mary .
Francis Brown, born in England, about
1607, came to this country in 1638 with
the New Haven Company, led by The-
ophilus Eaton and John Davenport, lo-
cating in the Province of Connecticut.
Subsequently he removed to Stamford,
being a settler there about 1656.
(III) James Skelding, son of Thomas
(2) and Mary (Brown) Skelding, was
born April 15, 1738. He married, June 9,
1763, in Salem, New York, Mary Hait.
The original form of the name of Hait
was the German von Haight. In Eng-
land it was changed to Hait, Hoyte and
various other forms, which were pre-
served when a branch was transplanted
to the American colonies.
(IV) James (2) Skelding, son of James
(1) and Mary (Hait) Skelding, was born
June 6, 1775. He married, December 29,
1800, Hannah Knapp, a native of Green-
wich, who died November 20, 1822, aged
thirty-nine years and seven months.
(V) Henry Knapp Skelding, son of
James (2) and Hannah (Knapp) Skelding,
was born November 30, 1801, in Green-
wich. For many years he was a merchant
in New York City. He affiliated with the
Masonic fraternity. On retiring from
business he again became a resident of
Stamford, becoming one of the organizers
and the first president of the Stamford
Gas Light Company. He also served
three years as warden of the borough.
Mr. Skelding married, April 3, 1823, Delia
Maria Lockwood, daughter of Captain
Augustus Lockwood, and his death oc-
curred August 31, 1871.
(VI) William Frederick Skelding, son
of Henry Knapp and Delia Maria (Lock-
wood) Skelding, was born in 1833, in
Stamford. He there married, December
12, 1863, Amelia Merritt, daughter of
Matthew Franklin Merritt, of that city.
The Merritt genealogy is incorporated in
the biography of the Hon. Schuyler Mer-
ritt, which follows in the work. After
his marriage Mr. Skelding engaged in the
coal business in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsyl-
vania.
(VII) Franklin Merritt Skelding, son
of William Frederick and Amelia (Mer-
ritt) Skelding, was born in 1865. He was
educated in the widely known private
school presided over by Professor King.
In 1885 he graduated at Columbia Uni-
versity, and afterward engaged for a short
time in newspaper work. He married
Louise Darling Lockwood, daughter of
Henry F. Lockwood. Mr. Skelding died
in early manhood, passing away Decem-
ber 1, 1895. The following tribute, which
appeared in a local paper, is peculiarly
felicitous: "There was that about his
bright, genial, cheerful disposition which
won good-will and friendship answering
to his own, and he was endowed with pos-
itive talents worthy of admiration and
respect."
(VIII) Schuyler Merritt Skelding, son
of Franklin Merritt and Louise Darling
(Lockwood) Skelding, was born August
27, 1889, in Stamford. He received his
early education in Miss Haff's school,
passing thence to King's school, where
8.
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
his father had been prepared for the uni-
versity. In 1907 he graduated from King's
school, and in 191 1 received from Brown
University the degree of Bachelor of Arts.
Immediately thereafter Mr. Skelding en-
tered the service of the Bankers' Trust
Company of New York City, remaining
two years, and then spent another two
years in association with the Yale &
Towne Manufacturing Company, being
employed in their New York office. All
this time, however, Mr. Skelding retained
his residence in Stamford, and in 1915 he
identified himself with a real estate firm.
In 1917 he engaged on his own account
in the real estate and insurance business,
and has already acquired a profitable cli-
entele and built up for himself a sterling
reputation. He is secretary and director
of the H. S. Morehouse Hotel Company,
which operates the Davenport, and he is
also general manager and director of the
Apartments Company. He is treasurer
of the Mercantile Realty Company. Dur-
ing the World War, Mr. Skelding's busi-
ness career suffered an interruption by
reason of his patriotic response to the call
of the Federal government. He enlisted
as a private in the 437th Engineer De-
tachment which was stationed at Wash-
ington Barracks. Later the value of his
service was recognized by the award of a
commission as second lieutenant.
Mr. Skelding's fraternal associations
are with Union Lodge, No. 5, Free and
Accepted Masons ; Rittenhouse Chapter,
Royal Arch Masons ; Clinton Command-
ery, Knights Templar, and Pyramid Tem-
ple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the
Mystic Shrine. He is a member of the
Delta Phi fraternity, and his clubs are
the Suburban, Stamford Yacht, Wood-
way Country, of Stamford, the Algonquin,
of Bridgeport, and the New York Ath-
letic and Brown University clubs, of New
York.
Throughout the changes incident to his
career as a business man, Mr. Skelding
has loyally chosen to remain a resident
of the city with the history of which his
ancestors were identified for two cen-
turies. His record gives assurance that
he will be true to his traditions of high-
minded public service and so bring addi-
tional honor to a name long and deserv-
edly held in veneration.
MERRITT, Hon. Schuyler,
Manufacturer, National Legislator.
Schuyler Merritt represents the Fourth
Congressional District of Connecticut.
His family had its origin in England and
in Somersetshire, the county which al-
most more than any other is invested with
the indescribable and pervasive charm of
immemorial tradition. As "King Ar-
thur's country" it is the home of earliest
romance, romance which has inspired the
noblest work of one of England's great-
est laureates. It is in this Old World
haunt of song and story that we find the
first known ancestor of the Merritts, Ead-
noth, an Anglo thane, whose son, Hard-
ing de Meriet, was the earliest to bear the
family name. Members of this race, which
was seated in Somersetshire prior to the
Norman Conquest, are now numerous in
almost every county of England. The
name, variously spelled, and one of the
most familiar and honorable, appears in a
slightly altered form as Merriott, the des-
ignation of a parish in Somersetshire de-
rived from that of one of the ancestral
seats of the family.
Branches of the race were early trans-
planted to New England and to other por-
tions of the American colonies, and for
well-nigh three centuries the Merritts
have done their part in the development
and upbuilding of the interests which
have helped to make our land what she
8?
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
is to-day. They are numbered among' the
armigerous families of America.
(I) Thomas Merritt, the earliest Amer-
ican ancestor of record, was born in May,
1634, and in 1662 purchased from Thomas
Standish a home lot in Wethersfield,
Connecticut. In 1673 ne settled in Rye,
New York, and in 1683 his name appears
on the list of Rye's proprietors. On July
12, 1684, he was made constable. He
purchased real estate, including a parcel
of land called Pine Island, adjoining Mer-
ritt's meadows. On April 12, 1694, he
was commissioner to renew the Indian
purchase at White Plains, and on Febru-
ary 28, 1694, he was appointed vestryman
of Rye, and served in 1695 and 1697. On
July 22, 1697, he served on a committee
to select a minister, and on September 25,
1697, was on a committee to build a meet-
ing house. From 1667 to 1698 he was a
collector of the minister's salary. He was
one of those to wrhom was granted, Jan-
uary 22, 1696, the patent of Rye. On
January 19, 1697, Thomas Merritt and
Deliverance Brown appeared before the
General Court of Connecticut to obtain a
charter for Rye. In 1698 Thomas Mer-
ritt was called Senior. In October, 1699,
he was deputy to the General Court, and
from 1697 to 1699 served as townsman or
trustee. On December n, 1699, he be-
came a proprietor of Peningo Neck, and in
1705 he was supervisor. On November
1, 1707. he served on a committee to set-
tle the line between Greenwich and Rye.
On June 2, 1713-14-15-16, he was a mem-
ber of the Grand Jury. He lived nearly
opposite the site of the present Park In-
stitute. Thomas Merritt married (first),
December 3, 1656, Jane Sherwood, born
in 1636, daughter of Thomas and Alice
(Seabrook) Sherwood, and they became
the parents of sons and daughters. The
mother of the family died January 4, 1685.
Thomas Merritt married (second), August
13, 1688, Abigail Francis, born February
14, 1660, daughter of Robert and Joan
Francis, of Wethersfield, Connecticut. A
son and a daughter were the offspring of
this marriage. Thomas Merritt married
(third), in 1696, Mary (Ferris) Lock-
wood, daughter of Jeffrey Ferris, and wi-
dow of Jonathan Lockwood. This first
American ancestor of the Merritts lived to
an advanced age, passing away on No-
vember 10, 1725.
(II) Joseph Merritt, son of Thomas
and Jane (Sherwood) Merritt, was born
June 6, 1662, and in 1683 was a propri-
etor of Rye. He had assigned to him two
acres on Hog-Pen Ridge, in 1707, which
he fenced in, and in 1708 he was a pro-
prietor of Wills Purchase. In 1717-18-22,
he served on the Grand Jury. On Feb-
ruary 27, 1722, he was an ensign in the
Westchester County Military Company,
and on May n, 1727, he signed a peti-
tion of Presbyterians. Joseph Merritt
married Jane . The death of Jo-
seph Merritt occurred May 12, 1754. His
will, which was made March 27, 1752, and
proved June 6, 1754, is signed with his
mark.
(III) Nehemiah Merritt, son of Joseph
and Jane Merritt, was born May 7, 1715,
and in December, 1758, at the Oblong
Meeting at Quaker Hill, Dutchess county,
New York, showed a certificate of re-
moval from the Mamaroneck Meeting.
In 1760 he was on a committee to review
the sufferings of the Friends at Oblong.
On July 25, 1761, he and nine others
signed a petition in behalf of themselves
and fifteen others for twenty-five thou-
sand acres on the east side of the Hudson
river between Fort Edward and Lake
George. On July 10, 1762. a meeting of
the proprietors of Queensbury was held
at the shop of Nehemiah and Daniel Mer-
ritt in Beekman Precinct. Dutchess
county, New York, and on November 8,
84
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
1762, at a second meeting held at the same
place, partition deeds were given to the
thirty proprietors, including Nehemiah
and his sons, Daniel and Ichabod. Nehe-
miah Merritt had not been included in
the Queensbury patent. On February 23,
1763, he was one of the trustees to rent
all undivided lands, and for a number of
years was very active in real estate trans-
actions. Nehemiah Merritt married (first) ,
Dinah Hopkins, daughter of Ichabod and
Sarah (Coles) Hopkins; married (sec-
ond), before 1761, Mary Dingy, daughter
of Robert Dingy. Nehemiah Merritt died
in 1794, and was buried in Quaker Hill
Cemetery.
(IV) Daniel Merritt, son of Nehemiah
and Dinah (Hopkins) Merritt, was born
July 23, 1738, and in 1763 became one of
the proprietors of Queensbury, owning
twenty-five acres there. He married
(first), December 23, 1761, Hannah Wing,
daughter of Abraham and Anstis (Wood)
Wing. He married (second), October 1,
1765, Sarah Mudge, daughter of Michael
and Sarah (Hopkins) Mudge. Daniel
Merritt died May 25, 1805, and was bur-
ied in Quaker Hill Cemetery.
(V) Nehemiah M. Merritt, son of Dan-
iel and Sarah (Mudge) Merritt, was born
April 26, 1772, in Quaker Hill, and in 1810
was a dry goods merchant on Pearl street,
New York. He lived at one time in
Flushing, Long Island, and was a man of
prominence in the community, being an
acknowledged minister of the Society of
Friends. Mr. Merritt married (first),
February 28, 1793, Phoebe Thorne, born
April 13, 1773, daughter of William and
Jemima (Titus) Thorne, who died Janu-
ary 30, 1823. He married (second), May
11, 1827, Sarah Sutton, daughter of Moses
and Rebecca (Underhill) Sutton. Mr.
Merritt inherited the longevity character-
istic of his ancestors, passing away on
March 10, 1863, having nearly completed
his ninety-first year.
(VI) Matthew Franklin Merritt, son
of Nehemiah M. and Phoebe (Thorne)
Merritt, was born March 2, 1815, in Flush-
ing, New York State, and received his
education in public schools of Dutchess
county. When about sixteen years of
age he went to New York City and began
his active employment there. He was
associated, practically all his life, with the
iron and steel business, and was as late
as 1859 associated with his brother-in-
law, George W. Quintard, in the great
Morgan Iron Works of New York City.
While still a young man, Mr. Merritt
manifested an unusual enthusiasm and in-
terest in political affairs, not as a seeker
for office, but rather as an expression of
that earnest and intelligent patriotism
which distinguished him through life. He
was an enthusiastic "old-line Whig" in
ante-war days, but was disposed to con-
servative views during the period imme-
diately preceding the Civil War when
many earnest patriots, North and South,
were still hoping that some happy com-
promise might still be potent to scatter
the clouds of civil strife which were gath-
ering on the horizon. From such motives
as these he was for a time attracted to the
support of the presidential ticket of Bell
and Everett, but as the issue became
clearer and it was evident to all that the
vital question was union or disunion, no
private citizen more heartily supported
the hands of the government, or gave pro-
portionately more liberal and persistent
aid to all measures taken for its defense.
In his business connection with the
great iron and marine engine works Mr.
Merritt was in a position to perform serv-
ices of uncommon value, and his long and
intimate personal acquaintance with the
Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the
85
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Navy, aided in bringing him into promi-
nence in connection with naval construc-
tion. Largely through this channel he
made the personal acquaintance of Pres-
ident Lincoln himself and likewise of
many of the leading generals, especially
of the higher officers of the navy, such as
Farragut, Foote, Dupont, Worden and
others. He chanced to have seen all that
could be seen from Fortress Monroe of
the memorable battle between the "Mer-
rimack" and the "Monitor," and a few
days after had the privilege of meeting at
dinner the gallant Worden and forming
an acquaintance which was severed only
by death. One of the later monitors, the
"Cohoes," was built chiefly under Mr.
Merritt's personal supervision. In order
to undertake this work he organized the
American Iron Works which continued to
build ships and marine engines, Mr. Mer-
ritt remaining in the shipbuilding business
alone until 1869, when he retired.
As already mentioned, he never aspired
to political office, but in 1859 was elected
State Senator from his district. He was
often called upon to preside at public
meetings, a position for which his tact,
intelligence and habitual courtesy partic-
ularly qualified him. These qualities
were characteristic of him even in the
heat of political contests, and as a result
he provoked no malice and made no en-
emies even among his bitter opponents.
About 1855 Mr. Merritt became a resi-
dent of Stamford, and during the war his
main activity as a citizen was in promot-
ing the political ascendancy of the party
upon which in his view the strength and
success of the Union cause depended. He
was influential in organizing the First
National Bank, and took an active part
in the organization of Woodlawn Cem-
etery, serving for many years as its vice-
president. When the Republican party
was organized in Connecticut, Mr. Mer-
ritt became one of its original members.
He affiliated with Union Lodge, No. 5,
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. For
many years he maintained, nominally at
least, his birthright membership in the
Society of Friends. Subsequently he be-
came both in form and spirit a member of
St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church of
Stamford, prominent and valued in that
communion during all the latter years of
his life.
Mr. Merritt married, in 1840, in New
York City, Maria Shaw, daughter of Wil-
liam and Clarissa (Hoyt) Shaw, and their
children were: I. Amelia, born Septem-
ber 16, 1841 ; married William F. Skeld-
ing (a biography of whom precedes this) ;
she died April 12, 1915. 2. Julia, born
September 12, 1842, died December 15,
1908. 3. Adeline, born May 27, 1848, died
March 27, 1869. 4. Schuyler, mentioned
below.
The death of Mr. Merritt, which oc-
curred May 10, 1896, removed from the
roster of Stamford citizenship a name
which had long distinguished it and which
had been prominently identified with the
social and political life of the town for
nearly half a century. It removed from
the midst of a circle of near friends and
relatives one who was looked up to and
loved by all, from the youngest to the eld-
est. Even to much wider circles of the
community his departure brought a sense
of personal loss, more especially to the
older citizens who were contemporaries
of Mr. Merritt in the more active and
conspicuous years of his life, and who
knew, from personal recollection, what a
large and honored place he filled here dur-
ing one of the most memorable periods of
our national history.
(VII) Schuyler Merritt. son of Mat-
thew Franklin and Maria (Shaw) Merritt,
86
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
was born December 16, 1853, in New York
City. He received his education in the pub-
lic schools of Stamford, Connecticut. In
1873 he graduated at Yale University with
the degree of Bachelor of Arts, doing post-
graduate work for a year thereafter. He
then entered Columbia Law School, re-
ceiving in 1876 the degree of Bachelor of
Laws. The same year he was admitted
to the bar in New York City, and after
spending a year in a law office there en-
tered the service of the Yale & Towne
Manufacturing Company as an office as-
sistant. This was in 1877, and in 1878
he was elected secretary of the company
and became a member of its board of
directors. For several years he was gen-
eral manager of the commercial end of
the business, and from 1898 to 1902 filled
the office of treasurer. For some years
Mr. Merritt has been senior vice-presi-
dent of the company. With his thorough
legal equipment he has always had charge
of those affairs of the organization which
called for the services of a member of the
bar, and has also protected its patent in-
terests, giving special attention during
recent years to the bank lock department.
In 1905 Mr. Merritt was elected president
of the Stamford National Bank, and when
that bank and the First National Bank
were consolidated in July, 1919, under
the name of the First-Stamford National
Bank, he was chosen president of the new
organization. He is also a director of
the Stamford Trust Company and the
Virginia Iron, Coal and Coke Company.
To the support of the principles of the
Republican party Mr. Merritt has always
given his political allegiance, and for very
many years he has been active in public
affairs, advancing step by step to that
position of leadership which he has so
long held. In 1884 he became a member
of the School Committee of Stamford, and
for fifteen or sixteen years continued to
serve, most of the time as chairman of the
board. He took a very active part in de-
veloping the high school to its present
complete and well equipped condition and
in elevating it to its very high standing of
to-day. For his part in helping to raise
the standard of the graded schools the
community is much indebted to him. In
1910 he was appointed as a member of the
State Board of Education and served un-
til he was elected to Congress in 191 7.
He was a member of the Constitutional
Convention which met in Hartford in
1904, and he also served for a number of
years on the Board of Appropriation and
Apportionment of Stamford. At a spec-
ial election held in 1917 he was chosen to
represent the Fourth Congressional Dis-
trict in the United States House of Rep-
resentatives, and was reelected in 1918
and 1920. He is a member of the Com-
mittee on Interstate and Foreign Com-
merce.
As a man of keen perception, sound
judgment, wise counsel and unquestioned
integrity, Mr. Merritt has made a notably
successful record in the business world.
The justice and fair-mindedness which
have always characterized his relations
with his employes have constituted no
small factor in the prosperity of his com-
mercial enterprises. He has taken an ac-
tive interest in the Associated Charities.
The patriotism characteristic of his race
has marked Mr. Merritt's entire career
and was called forth in all its strength by
the late war. He was identified with a
number of its activities, the most con-
spicuous of his services being his chair-
manship of Stamford's Liberty Loan
Committee. The versatility of his tal-
ents has enabled Mr. Merritt to achieve
success in the law, in commerce and in the
arena of politics.
87
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
WHEELER, Elonzo Seth,
Manufacturer.
There are not many families who have
sustained so high a character through so
great a term of years as the Wheelers of
Fairfield county, Connecticut. For over
a century they have been resident in Nau-
gatuck and Saugatuck, coming to the
latter place in i860. Since 1837, in which
year Elonzo Seth Wheeler started in busi-
ness, this family has been prominent in
manufacturing circles. The family is
among the oldest settled in Connecticut,
and the surname is one of the most an-
cient in England. The first appearance of
the name is in the eighth century; there
was a Saxon chief who bore the name,
and it is later found in the Domesday
Book, at the time of William the Con-
queror. The Hundred Rolls (1273) give
record of the name of Hugh le Welere,
and in the Close Rolls (1348) we find
Richard Whelere. The derivation of the
name is from the two Anglo-Saxon words,
wel, or voxel, meaning prosperous, and hari,
or here, meaning a warrior, so that the
name signifies lucky warrior. The first
known member of the family herein de-
scribed in direct line is Agur Wheeler.
(I) Agur Wheeler was born Decem-
ber 20, 1754, and died at South Britain,
Connecticut. He enlisted, August 15,
1776, in Colonel Benjamin Hinman's
company, from which he was discharged
on account of illness. On June 28, 1776,
he married Anna Tuttle, of South Britain,
and she was born May 24, 1759, and died
December 11, 1802.
(II) Samuel Wheeler, son of Agur and
Anna (Tuttle) Wheeler, was born at South
Britain, Connecticut, May 18, 1786, and
died November 17, 1863. He married
Oria Hinman, born January 12, 1788, died
August 5, 1858, a daughter of Jonathan
and Betty (Hinman) Hinman, and a de-
scendant of Titus Hinman, one of the first
settlers of Woodbury, Connecticut. Sam-
uel Wheeler followed farming throughout
his lifetime. He was the father of Elonzo
Seth Wheeler, of further mention.
(Ill) Elonzo Seth Wheeler, son of Sam-
uel and Oria (Hinman) Wheeler, was
born March 29, 1816, in South Britain,
Connecticut, and died in May, 1898, at
Saugatuck, same State. He was educated
in the public schools, and was only a
young man when, in 1837, he started in
the manufacturing business on his own
account. He was one of the first manu-
facturers of buttons in Connecticut. His
start in business was a small venture, but
he soon met with success, as, possessed
of a very ingenious mind, he patented
machinery that enabled him to decrease
the cost of manufacture and increase the
volume of output. Later, when glass
buttons began to be used, Mr. Wheeler
took up that line, and at a still later date
he was one of the pioneer manufacturers
of cloth covered buttons in the State. In
association with his brother, J. E.
Wheeler, he incorporated the business
under the name of the Saugatuck Manu-
facturing Company, of which Mr. Wheeler
was president for a short time. He main-
tained an office in New York City and had
traveling men on the road. Mr. Wheeler
was an upright and conscientious citizen,
and interested in public matters, though
by no means a politician. He was of a
quiet and retiring nature and devoted his
time to his business and his family.
Mr. Wheeler married Caroline Smith,
born April 29, 1816, in Naugatuck, died
in March, 191 1, daughter of Anson and
Sarah (Bouton) Smith. Mrs. Wheeler
was a descendant of George Smith, and a
granddaughter of Anthony Smith, who
fought in the Revolution. Mr. and Mrs.
Wheeler were the parents of five chil-
dren: 1. Robinson Hinman, married Sa-
88
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
rah Frances Smith, and has two chil-
dren: Edith May and Charles Edward;
with his family he resides in Naugatuck.
2. Clarence LeRoy, married Cora Henry,
and their children are : Elonzo Henry ;
LeRoy Melville ; Mary Caroline, wife of
Alfred Sharp, of Buffalo; Frederick E.,
married Frances Thomas ; Elsie ; Willard
Clark, married Alice White. This family
resides in Buffalo. 3. Kate Washington,
deceased. 4. Bertha Caroline, married
John Hazelton. 5. Elonzo Sterne. The
Wheeler family were long members of
Christ Episcopal Church until Trinity
Church was built, at which time they be-
came identified with the new church.
REDFIELD, Tyler Longstreet,
Printer, Publisher.
To this should be added, "Chairman of
the Board of Directors of the Redfield-
Kendrick-Odell Company." For many
years a publisher and printer of note in
New York City, Mr. Redfield has re-
mained a resident of Greenwich, actively
identified with the interests of his com-
munity and prominently associated with
its club circles and its social life.
The family name, which indicates the
ancient English origin of the race, has
undergone, with the lapse of centuries,
numerous changes, being spelled succes-
sively, Redfen, Redfyn and Redfyne.
(I) William Redfen, founder of the
American branch of the family, was
among those courageous pioneers who
landed on our shores soon after the ar-
rival of the Pilgrims. Coming from Eng-
land he was in Massachusetts as early as
1639, and possibly earlier, owning and
occupying a house and land on the south
side of the river Charles, about six miles
from Boston, near the northwest corner
of what is now the town of Brighton. In
September, 1646, he sold the property and
probably joined those who removed to
what is now the town of Ledyard, Con-
necticut. The first evidence we have of
his presence there is in 1653, when he
built a house on Brewster's Neck, on land
conveyed to him by Jonathan Brewster,
May 29, 1654. He died about April or
May, 1662. The Christian name of his
wife was Rebecca and the last evidence
we have of her is in 1667. During the
residence of the family in New London,
which occurred later, the spelling of the
name, as shown in various documents on
record, was changed to its present form.
(II) James Redfield, son of William
and Rebecca Redfen, was born about
1646, and on April 1, 1662, bound himself
to Hugh Roberts, of New London, for
five years, "to learn the art and trade of
tanning," being then about sixteen years
of age. He married (first) in May, 1669,
in New Haven, Elizabeth How, born in
1645, daughter of Jeremy How, of that
place, and a descendant of Edward How,
one of the first settlers of Lynn, Massa-
chusetts, who was admitted a freeman
there in 1636; was several times chosen
representative ; was a member of the Es-
sex Court in 1637; attended the court
which was convened in Boston in March,
1639, and in April dropped dead while
on his way home. In 1671 James Redfield
was at Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard, and
in July, 1676, he was back in Connecticut
and engaged in weaving. At one time he
lived in Saybrook, where the town
granted him land. About 1686 he re-
moved to Fairfield, where he married
(second) Deborah, daughter of John
Sturges, or Sturgis. In 1683 he had been
granted land at Pipe Stains Point. The
date of his death is not known, but it was
probably prior to 1723.
(III) Theophilus Redfield, son of
James and Elizabeth (How) Redfield,
was born in 1682, probably in Saybrook.
89
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
He was a joiner, and soon after coming
of age, in March, 1705, purchased a small
piece of ground in that part of Killing-
worth afterward set off as Clinton. He
married, December 24, 1706, Priscilla
Greenel (or Grinnell), the seventeen year
old daughter of Daniel and Lydia (Pa-
bodie) Greenel (or Grinnell), who three
years before had settled in that part of
Saybrook now known as Westbrook.
Lydia Pabodie was born, (according to
"The Pabodie Family," by B. Frank Pa-
bodie), April 3, 1667, and was the twelfth
child of William and Elizabeth (Alden)
Pabodie. William Pabodie was of Dux-
bury, Massachusetts, and Little Compton,
Rhode Island. He was born in 1620, in
England, and died December 13, 1707.
He married, December 26, 1644, Elizabeth
Alden, born in 1625, daughter of John and
Priscilla (Mullins, or Molines) Alden, the
story of whose marriage is immortalized
in Longfellow's "Courtship of Miles
Standish." William Pabodie (or Pay-
body) settled in Plymouth with his fa-
ther ; afterward removed to Duxbury,
where he held many offices of trust and
responsibility, and where he was the
owner of much land. He was one of those
to whom Bridgewater was set off in 1645 5
was one of the first proprietors of Free-
town in 1659; was one OI the original pur-
chasers of Little Compton in 1675, and
removed there with his family about 1684.
His father, John Paybody, was born in
England about 1590, died in Bridgewater
about 1667 ; had a wife named Isabel. He
and his son William are named among
the original proprietors of Plymouth.
Daniel Grinnell, father of Daniel Grinnell,
mentioned above, was born in 1636, in
Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and died in
Little Compton, in 1703. He married
Mary Wodell, born in November, 1640,
daughter of William and Mary Wodell.
William Wodell was in Boston at an early
date, and died in Tiverton, Rhode Island,
in 1693. In 1643, he, with others, was
banished from Massachusetts for "heresy
and sedition" and returned to Ports-
mouth, Rhode Island, where they had
previously been living. In 1643 ne was
granted land in Portsmouth ; was commis-
sioner, 1656-63; deputy, 1664-65-66-67-69-
70-72-73-74-75-80-81-82-83-84-86. During
these years he served on many important
committees. In 1684 he was chosen
assistant, but positively declined to serve.
Daniel Grinnell was a maltster ; was made
freeman of Portsmouth in 1657. His
name appears in several real estate trans-
actions in that town and at Little Comp-
ton. He served on the Grand Jury and as
constable. His father, Matthew Grinnell,
died prior to 1643 ! was a resident of New-
port, Rhode Island. His wife Rose died
in 1673. About 1717 or 1718 Theophilus
Redfield purchased about one hundred
and twenty acres of land on Chestnut
Hill in Killingworth, Connecticut, and
there he resided during the remainder of
his life. He served on many important
town committees, and was known as
"Sergeant Redfield." He died February
14, 1759. His widow, Priscilla (Greenel
or Grinnell) Redfield, died January 12,
1770, aged eighty-one years.
(IV) George Redfield, son of Theophi-
lus and Priscilla (Greenel or Grinnell)
Redfield, was born November 7, 1725, and
lived in Killingworth. He married (first),
in 1750, Trial Ward, daughter of Ira and
Lydia (Parmelee) Ward, of that place.
Mrs. Redfield died some time after 1762.
He married (second), in 1767, Abigail
Stone, who died in 1769. George Red-
field died in Killingworth, May 30, 1812.
(V) Peleg Redfield, son of George and
Trial (Ward) Redfield, was born May 14,
1762, and in 1777 enlisted as a fifer in the
Connecticut Line. During the ensuing
five years he served continuously and wit-
Qo
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
nessed the burning of East Haven, being
one of those who undertook to save New
Haven from the marauding expedition
under Tryon and Garth. In June, 1782,
he was discharged and returned to Kil-
lingworth, where he resumed his work,
which was the trade of shoemaking.
Later he removed to Suffield, and in 1800
migrated to a tract which he had pur-
chased near the present village of Clifton
Springs, in the town of Farmington (now
Manchester), Ontario county, New York.
He was a member of the Baptist church
and connected with a number of its be-
nevolent associations. He married, in
1787, Mary Judd, daughter of Heman
and Anna (Goodrich) Judd, of Farming-
ton, Connecticut, and his death occurred
May 26, 1852, on his farm in Ontario
county, New York.
(VI) Manning Redfield, son of Peleg
and Mary (Judd) Redfield, was born
March 17, 1791. He was a volunteer in
the War of 1812. He was a farmer in
Manchester township, Ontario county,
New York. He married, in 1828, Milicent
Goodrich Hollister, of Berlin, Connecti-
cut. On February 26, 1852, he died, ex-
actly three months prior to the decease
of his aged father.
(VII) Charles Manning Redfield, son
of Manning and Milicent Goodrich (Hol-
lister) Redfield, was born July 12, 1841,
in Manchester township. He received the
greater part of his education in Rochester,
New York. He was reared on a farm,
but on reaching manhood became a mer-
chant in Clifton Springs, New York.
During the Civil War he enlisted in the
Forty-eighth Regiment, New York Vol-
unteer Infantry, but was attacked by
rheumatism in Norfolk, Virginia, and thus
incapacitated for further service. When
about fifty years of age he retired from
business. While adhering to the princi-
ples of the Democratic party he was never
a politician. He affiliated with Canandai-
gua Lodge, No. 294, Free and Accepted
Masons, of Canandaigua, and the Grand
Army of the Republic. He married Caro-
line Florence Younglove, daughter of
Cornelius and Caroline (Eddy) Young-
love, who died February 28, 1878. The
name of Eddy is of Anglo-Saxon origin,
and in its ancient form of Ead was not a
surname. It signifies "prosperity." Wil-
liam Eddye (as the name was then
spelled) was a native of Bristol, Glouces-
tershire, England, and from 1589 to 1616,
when he died, was vicar of the Church of
St. Dunstan, Cranbrook, Kent. He mar-
ried (first), Mary Fasten, daughter of
John Fasten, who died in 161 1. He mar-
ried (second), in 1614, Elizabeth Taylor
(widow). John Eddye, son of William
and Mary (Fasten) Eddye, came in 1630
with his brother Samuel to Plymouth,
Massachusetts, and thus the American
branch of the family had its origin. Fol-
lowing is the Eddy escutcheon :
Arms — Sable, three old men's heads couped at
the shoulders argent, crined proper.
Crest — A cross-crosslet fitchee sable, and a dag-
ger argent, hilt or, in saltire.
Motto — Crux tnihi grata quies.
Mr. and Mrs. Redfield were the parents
of the following children : Tyler Long-
street, mentioned below ; Judd Hamilton,
a biography of whom follows in this
work; and Harriet Caroline, married A. J.
Short, of Clifton Springs, now of Lima,
New York. The family were members
of the Protestant Episcopal church in
which Mr. Redfield served as warden.
Mr. Redfield died January 9, 1913.
(VIII) Tyler Longstreet Redfield, son
of Charles Manning and Caroline Flor-
ence (Younglove) Redfield, was born De-
cember 18, 1865, in Clifton Springs, New
York, and attended the public schools of
that place. At the age of fifteen he be-
91
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
came an apprentice in the office of the
Clifton Springs "Press." Later the paper
was placed in the hands of trustees who
made Mr. Redfield the editor and pub-
lisher despite the fact that he was then
only eighteen years of age. The sequel
proved, however, that their confidence
was not misplaced, the youth giving evi-
dence from the first of the possession of
qualities which fitted him for the difficult
positions to which he was assigned.
In 1885 Mr. Redfield's brother, Judd
Hamilton Redfield, was employed by the
Brooklyn "Eagle," and the following year
he also went into the composing room of
that paper. The brothers remained there
until 1893, when they founded their pres-
ent business by opening a small job print-
ing office. Very soon they began to do
work for advertising men, that being the
time when advertisers were first awaken-
ing to the possibilities of artistic, yet
forceful, typography. The firm of Red-
field Brothers not only had a thorough
practical knowledge of the technique of
the printer's art, but they also possessed
originality and that indefinable faculty,
taste, artistic perception as applied to
typography. The superiority of their
work along these lines quickly brought
them a volume of business which has ever
since been steadily augmented, until to-
day it is safe to say that the company,
doing a business of upward of a million
dollars a year, is among the half-dozen
leaders in the business in the United
States. It soon came to pass that periodi-
cals were brought to them, and it was not
long before they were among the largest
printers of magazines. For a long time
they printed the "International Studio,"
"Life" and other publications of that
class, also doing fine catalogue work. In
1917 Redfield Brothers was consolidated
with the Kendrick-Odell Press and the
name changed to Redfield-Kendrick-Odell
Company. Map-making was taken up at
that time, and here their originality again
came into play, for they introduced new,
soft colorings, which in their harmonious
combinations make their map-work un-
questionably the most beautiful now pro-
duced. They number among their cus-
tomers many of the largest users of print-
ing in America.
The company's plant was at first situ-
ated at No. 73 Warren street, New York
City, and when more spacious quarters
were demanded they moved to Park place,
their next migration being to No. 411
Pearl street. There they remained about
ten years, removing in 1907 to their pres-
ent fine quarters in the Scribner building
at No. 311 West Forty-third street. A
detailed description of their equipment
would be superfluous. It is enough to
say that it comprises the latest and most
modern machinery necessary for the pro-
duction of the highest class of printing
and engraving. Five years ago the com-
pany purchased the publication known as
"Newspaperdom," which they have
greatly improved, causing it to be recog-
nized as one of the best class publications
in the United States.
In all that concerns the welfare and
progress of his home town of Greenwich
Mr. Redfield has ever maintained the live-
liest interest. He was one of the organ-
izers of the Putnam Trust Company of
Greenwich and has since occupied a seat
on its board of directors. He is a trustee
of the Greenwich Hospital and the Bruns-
wick School of Greenwich.
The love of the open, which is one of
Mr. Redfield's marked characteristics, has
led him to become the owner of a farm
at the top of Round Hill, in the town of
Greenwich, where he has built one of the
beautiful houses of that section. About
twenty-five acres are devoted to general
farming, and he has productive orchards,
92
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
a herd of fine cattle and much first-class
poultry. Riding and golf are among his
favorite recreations. Mr. Redfield is a
member of the Greenwich Country Club,
the Field Club of Greenwich, and the In-
dian Harbor Yacht Club, also of Green-
wich. He was for a long time a member
of the New York Yacht Club.
Mr. Redfield married, September 9,
1908, Lydia Pearson, widow of James
Clifton Pearson, of Wakefield, Massachu-
setts, and daughter of Albert Judd
Wright, of the well known firm of Wright
& Potter, State printers of Boston. Mrs.
Redfield was the mother of four children.
Mr. and Mrs. Redfield are members of the
Christian Science church.
REDFIELD, Robert Latimer,
Lawyer, Author.
One of the foremost lawyers of New
York City, and an acknowledged leader
in his profession, Robert Latimer Red-
field, of the firm of Hill, Lockwood, Red-
field & Lydon, has achieved more than
temporary fame. He will be known to the
generation succeeding him through the
legal works of which he is the author and
editor. Mr. Redfield descends from a
long line of courageous pioneers of New
England. The family has not been traced
in England, and the name has undergone
many changes in spelling as was common
with many of the early surnames.
(IV) Peleg Redfield, son of Theophilus
and Priscilla (Greenel, or Grinnell) Red-
field (q. v.), was born April 2, 1723. In
1756 he was appointed second lieutenant,
10th Company, 2nd Connecticut Regi-
ment, raised for campaign against the
French. In 1758 he served as first lieu-
tenant of the same regiment. In the
spring of 1759 he was commissioned cap-
tain and took command of ninety men
which he had raised in and about Killing-
worth. This company formed part of the
2nd Regiment under Colonel Nathan
Whiting. They participated in the cam-
paign against Ticonderoga, and in 1760
Peleg Redfield again saw active service
with the same company and regiment,
participating in the military operations
which closed with the surrender of Mon-
treal. Upon his return he became ill with
smallpox in Albany, and died on his jour-
ney home near Stockbridge, Massachu-
setts, December 5, 1760. He married,
April 25, 1744, Sarah Dudley, daughter of
Ebenezer and Elizabeth (Graves) Dudley,
of Guilford.
(V) Beriah Redfield, son of Peleg and
Sarah (Dudley) Redfield, was born No-
vember 21, 1745. His early life was spent
in Killingworth, and later he resided in
Richmond, Massachusetts, where he was
a farmer on an extensive scale. On
November 5, 1770, he married Dorothy
Stevens, daughter of Thomas and Doro-
thy (Parker) Stevens, of Killingworth,
and in the spring of 1816 he removed to
Junius, Seneca county, New York, where
he died June 4, 1819.
(VI) Captain Luther Redfield, son of
Beriah and Dorothy (Stevens) Redfield,
was born in Richmond, Massachusetts,
November 26, 1780. He married, May 19,
1803, Mary Dryer, born March 3, 1781,
died May 7, 1853, daughter of John and
Kezia (French) Dryer. In January, 1806,
he removed to Junius, Seneca county,
New York, then a wilderness. He be-
came an active and substantial citizen.
He made his first journey to Junius on
foot and returned to Massachusetts the
same year. The year following he
brought his wife and two children to
Junius, with his household effects, and
purchased and cleared a large farm. Dur-
ing the War of 1812 he was captain of
the town militia, and upon the landing of
the British soldiers at Sodus in June, he
93
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
and his soldiers were summoned to the
defense of that place. For nearly a half
century Captain Redfield was a deacon
and elder of the Presbyterian church.
(VII) Luther (2) Redfield, son of Cap-
tain Luther (1) and Mary (Dryer) Red-
field, was born in Junius, New York, July
I, 1815, and later removed to Clyde, New
York. In 1849 ne removed to New York
City and became a dealer in grain and
provisions, continuing until 1871. In the
latter year he removed to Tarrytown,
where he became president of the village.
During this period he became associated
with the First National Bank, of Tarry-
town, and finally became its president.
He married, in Clyde, August 1, 1836,
Eliza Ann Angell, daughter of Amasa and
Mary (Ward) Angell, and his death oc-
curred September 9, 1878.
(VIII) Amasa Angell Redfield, son of
Luther (2) and Eliza Ann (Angell) Red-
field, was born in Clyde, New York, May
19, 1837. At an early age he removed to
New York City, and after attending
school in Bloomfield, New Jersey, entered
New York University, the class of i860,
with which he was graduated. He began
the study of law in the office of Austin
Abbott, and subsequently attained an ex-
tensive practice. He became official re-
porter of the Surrogates Court and the
Court of Common Pleas, serving from
1877 to 1882. Early in life he devoted
himself to literary work, and for many
years contributed to the "Knickerbocker
Magazine." He also wrote a number of
books on legal subjects which became
widely known and uniformly accepted as
authorities. During the last few years of
his life, he resided in Farmington, Con-
necticut, where he died October 19, 1902.
Mr. Redfield drew and put through the
constitution of the Borough of Farming-
ton and had it adopted by the Legislature.
He was elected senior burgess of the
borough, which office he held until his
death. Mr. Redfield was a member of
the Constitutional Convention of Con-
necticut, and was nominated for this office
on both tickets by his fellow-citizens. He
was a member of the New York Bar As-
sociation and of the Zeta Psi fraternity.
At the time of his death he was working
on the "Judicial History of New York."
In his younger days he was a member
of the West Presbyterian Church in West
Forty-second street, New York City, and
later became identified with St. Timothy's
Episcopal Church. Upon his removal to
Farmington, he became a member of the
Congregational church there.
In 1863, Mr. Redfield married Sarah L.
Cooke, daughter of Robert L. and Caro-
line (Van Deventer) Cooke, and their
children were: 1. Robert Latimer, of
whom further. 2. Edith, born September
22, 1867; married, November 29, 1887,
Frederic T. Cooper, and they have the fol-
lowing children : Doris R., born December
29, 1890; Helen T., born November 25,
1893 ; Marjorie H., born February 14,
1896.
(IX) Robert Latimer Redfield, son of
Amasa Angell and Sarah L. (Cooke)
Redfield, was born July 30, 1864. At the
age of twenty-two years he was graduated
from Yale College with the degree of
B. A. He studied law in the office of his
father's preceptor, Austin Abbott, and in
1888 was admitted to the New York bar.
In 1890 he formed a partnership with his
father, which continued until the latter's
death in 1902. By the admission of Rich-
ard P. Lydon in 1898 (now a justice of
the New York Supreme Court), the firm
name was changed to Redfield, Redfield
& Lydon. In 1906 the firm was consoli-
dated with the old firm of Lockwood &
Hill, becoming known as Hill, Lockwood,
Redfield & Lydon. Mr. Redfield special-
izes in estates and probate matters. The
94
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
last four editions of his father's work on
the law of Surrogate's Court were writ-
ten by him, and in 1919 Mr. Redfield
wrote "The Descent and Administration
of Estates." During the winter season
Mr. Redfield lives in New York City, and
in the summer time in Farmington, Con-
necticut, on the estate inherited from his
father.
Mr. Redfield married, November 1,
1894, Emma J. Balen, daughter of Peter
and Mary A. (Stickney) Balen, and they
are the parents of two sons : Robert Lati-
mer, Jr., born July 7, 1904 ; John Alden,
born January 1, 1907. Mr. Redfield's
clubs are : The Yale Club of New York,
the New York Bankers' Club, New York
Biographical and Genealogical Society,
the Farmington Country Club, Shuttle
Meadow Club, Lakewood Golf Club of
New Jersey, Cherry Valley Club of Gar-
den City, and the New York Law Insti-
tute.
REDFIELD, Judd Hamilton,
Master Printer.
Long before coming to Greenwich Mr.
Redfield was a well-established business
man of New York City and now, as
treasurer of the widely known printing
house of Redfield-Kendrick-Odell Com-
pany, he is prominent in his own line.
Mr. Redfield has other business interests
and is numbered among the most highly
respected residents of his home city.
(VIII) Judd Hamilton Redfield, son
of Charles Manning and Caroline Flor-
ence (Younglove) Redfield (q. v.), was
born January 22, 1867, in Clifton Springs.
He received his education in local public
schools. At the age of fourteen he began
to learn the printer's trade, afterward fol-
lowing it as a journeyman. On attaining
his majority, Mr. Redfield, in association
with his brother, established an independ-
ent business in New York City under the
firm name of Redfield Brothers. That
was in 1893 and two years later the busi-
ness was incorporated under the same
name. The firm did general jobbing and
commercial printing, also some publica-
tion printing, and as the years went on
built up a strong and flourishing concern.
In 1917 the business was consolidated
with the Kendrick-Odell Press and the
name changed to the Redfield-Kendrick-
Odell Company, with Mr. Redfield as
treasurer, that being the office which he
had held in the firm of Redfield Broth-
ers. The house makes a specialty of fine
commercial and map printing, and has
rapidly made for itself a position among
the foremost printers of the United States.
For a number of years Mr. Redfield was
a member of the Board of Governors of
the New York Printers' Board of Trade
and was its president for one year. Mr.
Redfield is a director of the firm of A.
Ackerman & Son, dealers in old prints.
In 1909 Mr. Redfield became a resident
of Greenwich and has ever since taken a
helpful interest in everything which in
his judgment has a tendency to advance
the welfare of his community. He be-
longs to the Greenwich Country Club.
He and his wife are members of Christ
Protestant Episcopal Church, of Green-
wich.
Mr. Redfield married, November 25,
191 1, Emily Louise Rockwood, daughter
of George W. and Emily Louise (Wright)
Rockwood, of Wakefield, Massachusetts,
but originally of Ashburnham. The
Rockwoods are an old family of English
origin, a branch of which was early
planted in New England. Mr. and Mrs.
Redfield are the parents of three chil-
dren : Judd Hamilton, Jr., born May 18,
1913; Tyler Adams, born November 16,
1918; and Howard Wright, born May 5,
1921.
95
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Judd Hamilton Redfield has helped to
found and develop a business which has
a national reputation, and occupies a
place among the leading citizens of his
community. He is entitled, beyond all
question, to be called a truly successful
man.
MATHER, David Nelson,
Business Man.
The name of Mather can be found on
record among the oldest English sur-
names. In the parish records of Leigh,
about two miles from Lowton, Lanca-
shire, England, is found mention of Ma-
ther baptisms as early as 1558. There
are few names so prominently connected
with our early New England history as
that of Mather. The name is derived from
math, and signifies honor or reverence.
The motto of the Mather family, "Virtus
vera nobilitas est," is an ample presenta-
tion of the qualities of the family which
in England and New England has held a
place of conspicuous prominence in the
history of both countries.
The Mather family of which David Nel-
son Mather is a worthy scion has been
settled in Darien, Connecticut, for four
generations. The great-grandfather of
Mr. Mather, Joseph Mather, being the pi-
oneer. The latter receives extended men-
tion in the ancestry which follows. The
old homestead in Darien is still called the
"Old Mather Homestead," and it is one of
the ancient landmarks which are fast dis-
appearing. The members of this family
have followed agricultural pursuits for
generations : they have been producers
and among the worthy men of their day.
(I) Rev. Richard Mather, immigrant an-
cestor, was born in Lowton, Winwick
parish, Lancashire, England, in 1596, and
died in Dorchester, Massachusetts, April
22, 1669. He attended the public school
in Winwick, and in the summer time
walked four miles to school. At the age
of fifteen years he was recommended for
teacher of a school near Liverpool. There
Rev. Mr. Mather remained for several
years, and during this time was brought
within the good influence of Aspinwall,
and also listened with earnest attention
to the preaching of Harrison, all of which
seemed to instill in him a desire to enter
the ministry. This he did, taking his
theological studies at Oxford, and at the
age of twenty-two years was ordained
minister at Toxeth. There he served the
ministry faithfully for many years. Even-
tually, religious oppression forced him to
leave England and he sailed on the
"James" from Bristol, arriving in Boston,
Massachusetts, in August, 1635. On Oc-
tober 25, of the same year, he and his
wife joined the Boston church. In Au-
gust, 1636, Rev. Richard Mather settled
in Dorchester, where he remained until
his death. He married (first), September
29, 1624, Catherine Holt, daughter of Ed-
mund Holt, of Bury, England, and she
died in 1655. She was the mother of Tim-
othy Mather, of whom further.
(II) Timothy Mather was born in Liv-
erpool, England, in 1628, died in Dor-
chester, January 14, 1684; he was the only
one of his father's sons that grew to ma-
turity and did not enter the ministry. He
always lived near his father's home, and
was a farmer. His death was caused by
a fall while at work in his barn. Mr.
Mather married (first) Mary Atherton,
daughter of Major-General Humphrey
Atherton, and they were the parents of
six children, of whom Richard Mather is
the next in line of descent.
(III) Richard (2) Mather was born
December 22, 1653, and died in Lyme,
Connecticut, August 17, 1688. His life
was spent in farming, and he was among
the early settlers of Lyme. He married,
July 1, 1680, Catherine Wise, and they
96
S^^o^r (>f^ (A{ctJ2L^r
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
were the parents of Captain Timothy Ma-
ther, oi whom further.
(IV) Captain Timothy (2) Mather was
born March 20, 1681, and died July 25,
1755. He married Sarah Noyes, and they
were the parents of Rev. Moses Mather,
of whom further.
(V) Rev. Moses Mather was born in
Lyme, Connecticut, February 23, 1719,
and died in Darien, Connecticut, Septem-
ber 21, 1806. He graduated from Yale
College in 1739, and was a fellow of that
institution from 1777 to 1790. Rev. Mr.
Mather was early settled in Darien as
pastor of a church there established in
1740. In 1791 the degree of D. D. was
conferred on him by the College of New
Jersey. During the Revolutionary War
he was subjected to many indignities at
the hands of the Tories who were very
numerous in that vicinity. He was made
prisoner by them and confined for some
time. During his imprisonment his food
was of the worst and his surroundings
were very poor. There was a woman,
said to be the mother of Washington Ir-
ving, who sent him food and clothing and
in other ways managed to make his forced
stay endurable. Rev. Mr. Mather mar-
ried (first) September 10, 1746, Hannah
Bell, and she died April 21, 1755. They
were the parents of Joseph Mather, of
whom further.
(VI) Joseph Mather was born July 21,
1753, and died February 29, 1840. He
was known as Deacon Joseph, and was
one of the most influential citizens of
Darien, Connecticut. His home was back
from the main traveled path a consider-
able distance, and because of this fact
was not so easily found by the British
enemy. It was customary for many of
the neighbors to bring their silver and
other valuables to Deacon Mather's house
to conceal them there until such time as
Conn— 8— 7
they could be carried to a better place of
safety. In the spring of 1781 the enemy
learned of this practice and before the val-
uables could be taken away they came to
the house and confiscated everything.
Deacon Mather married, May 29, 1777,
Sarah Scott, and she died August 27, 1843.
They were the parents of Joseph (2) Ma-
ther, of whom further.
(VII) Joseph (2) Mather was born
September 30, 1789, and died September
27, 1864. He was a farmer and a useful
citizen of the community. The house in
which Joseph Mather was born is now
the summer home of his grandson, Ste-
phen T. Mather, who receives extended
mention in the following sketch. For
several terms Joseph Mather served as
selectman ; he was originally a Whig in
politics, and later a Republican. For
many years he attended the Congrega-
tional church, a consistent Christian and
active worker of the church. On Janu-
ary 1, 1812, he married (first) Sally Jar-
vis, and (second) October 6, 1816, Happy
Osborne Wakeman. His second wife
died December 31, 1871.
(VIII) David Banks Mather, son of
Joseph (2) and Happy Osborne (Wake-
man) Mather, was born in the same neigh-
borhood, October 16, 1817, and died De-
cember 18, 1876. In his younger days he
was a school teacher and was also a
farmer throughout his lifetime. He mar-
ried, November 10, 1841, Julia Everett,
and they were the parents of the follow-
ing children: 1. Anna Eliza, now the
widow of James S. Weed, of Stamford,
Connecticut. 2* Sarah Cornelia, deceased,
married Michael Newbauer, of New York
City. 3. David Nelson, who receives ex-
tended mention below. 4. Julia Louise,
deceased, married Theodore Scofield, of
Danbury, Connecticut. The Mather fam-
ily were active members of the Congrega-
97
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
tional church, and David B. Mather was
active in church work during his lifetime.
(IX) David Nelson Mather, son of Da-
vid B. and Julia (Everett) Mather, was
horn on the place he now occupies in
Darien, Connecticut, October 23, 1852.
He was educated in the public schools of
his native town, and immediately after
completing his schooling became asso-
ciated with his father in caring for the
home farm. After the death of the latter
in 1876, Mr. Mather succeeded to the in-
terests of the farm and for forty years has
been engaged in the retail milk business
in the village. Mr. Mather is among the
best known citizens of Darien, and has
always been found willing to aid in any
of the public enterprises. For many
years he has served as constable, which
office he now holds. In politics he is a
Republican, and staunchly adheres to the
interests of that party.
Mr. Mather married Ida Matilda Mc-
Ewen, daughter of Daniel Chattel and
Sarah Amelia (Sale) McEwen. Daniel C.
McEwen was born in Paisley, Scotland,
son of Daniel and Sarah McEwen. The
former was eighteen years old when he
came to America and learned the trade of
tailor, which he followed in New York
City until the Civil War. Mr. McEwen
died in 1864. at the early age of twenty-
eight years. Mr. and Mrs. Mather were
the parents of three children: 1. Fred-
erick Clinton, born September 21, 1876,
now deceased. He married Murilla Louise
Smith, and left a daughter, Mabel Pier-
pont. 2. Florence Amelia, born Decem-
ber 26, 1878, married Samuel Lewis Rice,
and has one son, Clarence Chattel, born
July 17, 1903. 3. Clarence Sale, born
June 21, 1884, married Margaret Loretta
Clark, and has three children : Alberta
Ida, Marguerite Mary, and Loretta Ellen.
Mr. Mather and his wife attend the Con-
gregational church of Darien.
MATHER, Stephen Tyng,
Manufacturer, Director of National Park
Service.
(\ III) Joseph Wakeman Mather, son
of Joseph (2) and Happy Osborne (Wake-
man) Mather, whose ancestry appears in
the preceding sketch, was born in Darien,
Connecticut, January n, 1820. He was
educated in the public schools and for
some years taught in the schools of Dar-
ien and surrounding towns. Then Mr.
Mather went to New York City and at
first worked in mercantile establishments,
but soon resumed teaching, finally be-
coming principal of one of the downtown
grammar schools. Returning again to
business life, he became identified with
the old importing house of Alsop & Com-
pany, with whom he remained a number
of years, until 1863, when he went to
California to assume the office of secre-
tary of the Quick-Silver Mining Com-
pany. There he remained a number of
years, and for part of the time was en-
gaged in business as a commission mer-
chant. While in San Francisco, Mr. Ma-
ther served as a member of the school
board. In 1888 he returned to the East
as representative of the California Borax
Company, with headquarters in Wall
street, remaining with this company until
1897, in which year he retired. Mr. Ma-
ther's summers were always spent in the
home of his forefathers at Darien. He
died there, August 21, 1905.
One of the most interesting phases of
his career was his membership in the
original Fremont & Dayton Glee Club,
which was organized for the campaign of
1856. He had a fine tenor voice, which
he retained in splendid volume and qual-
ity until late in life. In politics Mr. Ma-
ther was a Republican, and was always
active in political matters. He was an
attendant of the St. George Episcopal
98
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Church in New York City, and was a
singer in the choir of this church previ-
ous to 1863. He married, June 27, 1864,
in New York City, Bertha Jemima Wal-
ker, born March 31, 1844, daughter of
Edward and Sophia (Shedell) Walker, of
New York City. Their children were :
Ella Maria, deceased ; Stephen Tyng, of
further mention ; Joseph Wakeman, born
January 18, 1869, died February 4, 1888.
(IX) Stephen Tyng Mather, the only
surviving child of Joseph Wakeman and
Bertha J. (Walker) Mather, was born
July 4, 1867. He was educated in the
University of California, from which he
was graduated in 1887 with a B. L. de-
gree. For five years subsequently he
worked as a reporter, and from 1892 to
1894 was associated with his father in the
borax business. He went to Chicago in
the interests of this business and estab-
lished an agency there, remaining until
1903. In the latter year he developed his
own borax business, which is incorporated
under the name of the Thorkildsen-Ma-
ther Company, the same interests having
a corporation in California known as the
Sterling Borax Company, and since their
organization Mr. Mather has been vice-
president of these corporations, and since
1894 has maintained his legal residence in
Chicago.
While a student at the University of
California, Hon. Franklin K. Lane, Sec-
retary of the Interior, was a classmate,
and this friendship has continued through-
out the years. He asked Mr. Mather to
take up park work, and in 191 5 Mr. Ma-
ther became assistant to the Secretary of
the Interior. In 1917, when the bureau
known as the National Park Service was
created, Mr. Mather was made the first
director. He has charge of nineteen Na-
tional parks, and is responsible for their
administration.
Mr. Mather has taken a great interest
in mountain climbing, and was one of the
directors of the Chicago Geographic So-
ciety for a number of years. He is also
a member of the Prairie Club and of the
Sierra Club. One of the expeditions of
the latter club was a climb to the top of
Mt. Rainier. Mr. Mather is a member of
Sigma Chi, and the Golden Bear, an hon-
orary society of the University of Cali-
fornia, and he has been an active mem-
ber of the City Club of Chicago since its
organization, also serving this institution
as vice-president. He was a member of
the building commission that erected its
present fine clubhouse. He is also a mem-
ber of the University Club of Chicago ;
the Chicago Athletic Club ; and a life
member of the Chicago Art Institute. Mr.
Mather has always been more or less ac-
tive in the United Charities and served
as chairman of its activities in the stock-
yards' district for a number of years. He
helped to build the House of Social Serv-
ice. Other clubs of which Mr. Mather is
a member are : Down Town Club of New
York; New York Chemists', the New
York Drug Club, and the Cosmos Club, of
Washington, D. C.
Mr. Mather married Jane T. Floy,
daughter of James T. Floy, of Elizabeth,
New Jersey, and they were the parents of
a daughter, Bertha F. Mather. The fam-
ily are members of the Church of the Re-
deemer of Chicago, of which Mr. Mather
has been vestryman for ten years.
(The Wakeman Line).
Mrs. Happy Osborne (Wakeman) Ma-
ther's ancestry is equally as ancient and
prominent as her husband's. She was
born January 27, 1794, and died Decem-
ber 31, 1871, a descendant of John Wake-
man, the immigrant.
The origin of the name of Wakeman
has an added interest because of its great
antiquity. It was a title originally given
99
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
to the chief magistrate of Rippon, in York-
shire, England, and literally signified,
"wide-awake man." This title descended
from father to son, and in this manner
the surname originated. The family has
long been settled in New England, the
founder, John Wakeman, being listed
among the freemen in New Haven, Con-
necticut, as early as June 4, 1639.
(I) John Wakeman was born about
1598-99, in Bewdley, Worcestershire, Eng-
land, and died in Hartford, Connecticut,
in 1661. He was a son of Francis and
Anna (Goode) Wakeman, of Bewdley.
On January 28, 1628-29, John Wakeman
married, at Bewdley, Elizabeth Hopkins,
daughter of William and Helen (Vick-
aris) Hopkins, baptized October 7, 1610,
in Ribbeford Church, England, and died
at New Haven, in 1658.
(II) Rev. Samuel Wakeman. son of
John and Elizabeth (Hopkins) Wakeman,
was born, probably, in 1635, as he was
baptized June 7, of that year, and died
March 8, 1692, at Fairfield, Connecticut.
He was ordained September 30, 1665, as
second pastor of the church at Fairfield.
His early education was obtained at Har-
vard College. Rev. Mr. Wakeman mar-
ried, August 28, 1656, Hannah Goodyear,
daughter of Governor Stephen Goodyear,
of New Haven, Connecticut, and she died
in 1721.
(III) Captain Joseph Wakeman, son of
Rev. Samuel and Hannah (Goodyear)
Wakeman, was born in 1670, and died
December 5, 1726. He was particularly
prominent in affairs, and was considered
a good business man. Sufficient warrant
of this fact is found in his will showing
his estate at his death to be £5,000. On
December 13, 1704, he was appointed
lieutenant by the council (Queen Anne's
War), and was appointed captain in Fair-
field, in May, 1708. Captain Wakeman
held many offices of trust and responsi-
bility, and was held in high esteem by his
fellow-citizens. He served as justice of
the peace of Fairfield, and as probate
judge and judge of the County Court. He
was a member of the governor's council
from 1724 to 1725, and was deputy twenty-
eight sessions. His house, which was
built in 1670, was for many years a land-
mark in Fairfield. This house and that
of his grandson were the only ones the
British did not burn. At one time Cap-
tain Wakeman had been kind to some pris-
oners and it was in consideration of this
that they spared his house. It is said
that Captain Wakeman often wished they
did not spare it as he was afraid his neigh-
bors would think he was a Tory. At one
time several British officers were quar-
tered in his home and in one of the rooms
they had considerable gold money. One
of Captain Wakeman's daughters, hoping
to save some of it, concealed a gold piece
under each bedpost, but it was discovered.
Captain Wakeman married, in 1697-98,
Elizabeth Hawley, born May 6. 1679, died
August 18, 1753, daughter of Ebenezer
and Esther (Ward) Hawley.
(IV) Stephen Wakeman, son of Cap-
tain Joseph and Elizabeth (Hawley)
Wakeman, was born in 1716, and died
March 23, 1760. He graduated from Yale
College in 1738, with the degree of B. A.
On January 11, 1734, Stephen Wakeman
married Mary Adams, born in 1717-18,
and died August 16, 1741, daughter of
Stephen Adams.
(V) Jesup Wakeman, son of Stephen
and Mary (Adams) Wakeman, was bap-
tized September 25, 1748, and died Janu-
ary 2, 1780. He married, at Greenfield,
Connecticut, December 29, 1768, Amelia
Banks, born in 1746, died December 17,
1833, daughter of Nehemiah and Abigail
(Bradley) Banks.
(VI) Banks Wakeman, son of Jesup
and Amelia (Banks) Wakeman, was born
00
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
September 12, 1769, and died March 29,
1835. He married (first) Happy Os-
borne, and (second) in Fairfield, Connec-
ticut, November 20, 1796, Eleanor Jen-
nings, born April 28, 1776, died March 25,
1861, daughter of Joshua Jennings.
(VII) Happy Osborne Wakeman, a
daughter of Banks and Happy (Osborne)
Wakeman, became the wife of Joseph
(2) Mather, as above noted.
MATHER, William Francis,
Building Contractor.
In the death of William Francis Mather
early in 1921 there was removed from the
Norwalk community one of its oldest
citizens, a man who for seventy of his
ninety-two years followed his calling in
this place. William Francis Mather was
a son of Joseph (2) and Happy Osborne
(Wakeman) Mather (q. v.), and was born
on the old Mather homestead, May 13,
1829. He was educated in the district
schools, grew to manhood on the home
farm, and remained there until 1847,
when he was apprenticed to the carpen-
ter's trade. For seventy years he was
active in this line as journeyman and con-
tractor, and his long career placed to his
credit the building of more houses than
have been constructed in Fairfield county
by any other man. His four sons, all of
whom were trained in the same trade,
were associated with him in his opera-
tions, and in 1851 Mr. Mather built the
house that was his residence at the time
of his death, a home on Five Acre lot.
Mr. Mather was orderly sergeant in the
Norwalk Artillery Company, and served
three years before attaining his majority.
He was widely acquainted and popular in
his locality, interested in all that con-
cerned the welfare of his fellows, and held
by them in the respect that is always
rendered to one who lives an upright,
moral life. William Francis Mather died
January 13, 1921.
Mr. Mather married, December 30,
1850, Emeline L. Gregory, daughter of
George B. and Nancy (Taylor) Gregory,
of Cranbury Plain, in the town of Nor-
walk, Connecticut, who was born Febru-
ary 18, 1829, and died September 27, 1912.
Children: 1. William Joseph, born No-
vember 27, 1851 ; married, September 10,
1874, Fannie M. F. Hitchcock. 2. George
Wallace, born August 31, 1855; married,
March 12, 1881, Minerva Crabb. 3. Happy
Isabell, born January 23, 1857; married,
April 8, 1875, Thaddeus B. Johnson. 4.
Charles Francis, born June 25, 1859; mar-
ried, March 6, 1881, Jennie F. Knapp. 5.
Edwin Lincoln, born April 22, 1861 ; mar-
ried, August 14, 1883, Maud Platts. 6.
Nellie Frances, born October 3, 1874.
LEES, John A.,
Head of Important Business.
The history of the Lees Manufacturing
Company of Westport is a very interest-
ing one. It is not only the oldest business
enterprise of that town, but there have
been four generations of the Lees family
at the head of its management continu-
ously. The present plant stands on the
same site as the original. The plant was
started in 1814 in the face of much local
opposition and doubt as to its feasibility.
An interesting item in the contract for
the original building was the stipulation
that in raising the frame, the building
committee should supply one gallon of
West India rum and three gallons of
elderberry brandy. The mill started with
fifteen employees, and the depression fol-
lowing the War of 1812 made the enter-
prise unprofitable. It sustained a pre-
carious existence until 1834, when Joseph
Wood and Robert Raymond rented the
mill and operated it for four years. From
101
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
1838 to 1843 the enterprise lay dormant,
and in the latter year John Lees took it
in hand.
John Lees was the founder of his fam-
ily in America. He was born in Glhn-
clonch, township of Preswick, County
Lancashire, England, in 1786, and sailed
from Liverpool, England, February 20,
1810, landing in New York City the fol-
lowing April. He was a man of skill and
enterprise, and infused new life into the
business when he assumed its manager-
ship in 1843. He spent much money and
labor in improvements, and kept the mill
running all the time on a paying basis.
After fifteen years of faithful endeavor,
the warnings of age made him retire, and
in 1858 his son succeeded him. John Lees
married, at the Friends Meeting, August
5, 1812, Martha Comstock. Their son,
Thomas Robert Lees, is mentioned be-
low.
Thomas Robert Lees was born in Hol-
den, Massachusetts, and died in Westport,
Connecticut. After succeeding his father
as the head of the mill, he continued to
successfully manage the affairs for twenty
years. He had practiced running the mill
for years before he became owner, and in
1878, when fire destroyed the mill, he
had been a manufacturer for thirty-five
years. Thomas R. Lees was a director of
the Westport Savings Bank ; he was a
Republican, and served as representative
in the State Legislature. He married, in
Auburn, Massachusetts, Elizabeth Clarke,
daughter of John and Sarah (Rice)
Clarke. They were the parents of Robert
T. Lees, mentioned below.
Robert T. Lees became president and
treasurer at the time the business was in-
corporated in 1881. The capital was
$25,000, afterwards increased to $50,000,
and the work of rebuilding on the old site
began. The new factory of stone and
brick, in every way larger and more com-
modious than the old one, was completed
in ninety days. It was equipped with the
latest and most improved machinery, and
in this respect the equipment has always
been kept abreast of the latest develop-
ments. Robert T. Lees was accustomed
to work in his father's factory at the
early age of twelve, and obtained by prac-
tical experience a thorough knowledge of
every detail of the business. In 1874 he
entered the commission house of Lees
& Kelly, and for six years traveled over
the entire country as their representative.
He married Lucy P. Lees. Robert T.
Lees died September 19, 1913.
John A. Lees, son of Robert T. Lees,
was born in Brooklyn, New York, Janu-
ary 21, 1875. He attended school there.
He was ten years of age when he came
to Westport, Connecticut, and six years
later entered the plant of the Lees Man-
ufacturing Company. Mr. Lees began
at the very bottom and learned each de-
tail of the business, preparing himself for
the time when he would be at its head.
His father was his able preceptor, and
in 1905 John A. Lees had progressed suf-
ficiently to hold the office of secretary and
general manager. The company's prod-
ucts consist of cotton cordage, twines,
wicks, yarns, braided goods, glazed and
polished twines and threads. The factory
buildings include a large modern dye
plant for coloring its twines, threads and
yarns. The products are shipped to all
parts of the world under its well known
registered trade-marks — "La Favorita"
and "Octagon" brands. The company's
water power is drawn from the beautiful
Saugatuck river, the mill being located
on the banks of one of its tributaries. The
recent purchase of an additional factory
site and brick building in Norwalk, Con-
necticut, will afford the company a sub-
stantial increase in its production. The
Lees family has always owned control of
102
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
the company, and at the present time the
business of the Lees Manufacturing Com-
pany is headed by John A. Lees, who is
of the fourth generation of the family.
Fraternally, John A. Lees is a member
of Temple Lodge, No. 65, Ancient Free
and Accepted Masons ; Pyramid Temple,
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Bridge-
port, and the Ancient Accepted Scottish
Rite ; Lafayette Consistory, Sublime
Princes of the Royal Secret, thirty-second
degree, Bridgeport; also Clinton Com-
mandery, No. 3, Knights Templar, Nor-
walk, Connecticut. He is a member of
the Saugatuck Congregational Church,
and was a member of the church com-
mittee. In 1913 Mr. Lees purchased a site
in the Catskill mountains where he built
a summer home and spends part of each
summer with his family.
Mr. Lees married Margaret J. Sniffen,
daughter of Joseph M. Sniffen, of West-
port, Connecticut, and is the father of two
children: Ruth A., born September 1,
1899, and John A., Jr., born September
28, 1905.
WOOD, Walter C,
Surgeon. Farmer.
Success in the healing art is usually at-
tended with material reward, but such a
reward is an incident and not the goal of
the right-minded physician. In his devo-
tion to relieving the ills of humanity, Dr.
Walter C. Wood won a prominent place
among the surgeons of the East, but at a
price little short of his own physical well-
being. He was compelled to give up the
practice of the profession he dearly cher-
ished and to go back to nature to regain
his health. He took up agriculture and
stock-raising in the same thorough, stu-
dious manner that he had given his pro-
fession, with the result that he has
achieved notable success in his new voca-
tion and restored his health besides.
(I) Jonathan Wood, one of Dr. Wood's
early ancestors, was born in Ridgefield,
Connecticut. He married Elizabeth Mun-
son, and they were the parents of Dr.
Ezekiel Wood, of whom further.
(II) Dr. Ezekiel Wood, son of Jona-
than and Elizabeth (Munson) Wood, was
a surgeon in the Continental army, and
died at West Point, in 1781.
(III) David Wood, son of Dr. Ezekiel
Wood, was a Revolutionary soldier, and
the Christian name of his wife was Prin-
cess.
(IV) Asahel Wood, son of David and
Princess Wood, was born in Westhamp-
ton, in 1796, and died in Northampton, in
1876. For many years he ran a section
of the stage line between Boston, Massa-
chusetts, and Albany, New York. He
married Louisa Clapp, born in 1796, died
in 1880, daughter of George and Abigail
(Burt) Clapp. On the maternal side Mrs.
Wood descended from the earliest settlers
of Northampton, Massachusetts, and also
from Henry Burt, who came to this coun-
try from England in 1633 ; in 1640 he was
settled in Springfield, Massachusetts,
where he died in 1662. Mr. and Mrs.
Asahel Wood were the parents of the
following children: George Clapp; Aus-
tin, of Syracuse ; Andrew Spencer, of
further mention ; Cornelius Delano, of
Brooklyn ; Maria, wife of Lyman N.
Clark, for many years editor of the New
York Times "News Letter," now residing
in Westfield, Massachusetts ; and Asahel
Frank, of Washington, D. C.
(V) Andrew Spencer Wood, son of
Asahel and Louisa (Clapp) Wood, and
father of Dr. Wood, was born in 1825, in
Northampton, Massachusetts, where he
died in 1881. He was educated in the
public schools, and learned the drug busi-
103
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
ness. For some time he was engaged in
this business in Northampton, later going
to Montreal, Canada, where he was in
the wholesale woodenware business for
seventeen years, under the name of Nel-
son & Wood.
Mr. Wood married (first) Catherine N.
Burnell, of Chesterfield, Massachusetts,
and she died in 1856. He married (sec-
ond) Lois P. Lyman, a daughter of
Captain Otis Childs, of Conway, Massa-
chusetts, and adopted daughter of Asahel
Lyman. Andrew S. and Lois P. (Ly-
man) Wood were the parents of six
children, four of whom grew to maturity:
1. Winthrop H., died in infancy. 2.
Katie, died aged three years. 3. Walter
C, of further mention. 4. Albert S., died
while on a business trip, and was buried
at sea. 5. Clarence D., born in 1871 ; he
died in Brooklyn, unmarried, in 1901. 6.
Lyman P., twin with Clarence D. ; he
married Mary Putney, of St. Johnsbury,
Vermont, and died in 1919, in Atlanta,
Georgia.
(VI) Walter C. Wood, son of Andrew
Spencer and Lois P. (Lyman) Wood, was
born August 4, 1864, m Northampton,
Massachusetts. He was educated at
Graylock Institute, South Williamstown,
Massachusetts, and at the Northampton
High School. He graduated from Am-
herst in 1886 with the degree of Bachelor
of Arts, and from the College of Physi-
cians and Surgeons of New York City in
1889 with the degree of Medical Doctor.
The subsequent eighteen months were
spent in Bellevue Hospital, and from
the beginning Dr. Wood specialized in
surgery. For a period of twenty years he
practiced very successfully in Brooklyn,
New York. He was surgeon to the
Brooklyn Hospital for fifteen years, and
professor of surgery at the Long Island
College Hospital for seven years, and
for twelve years surgeon at St. Mary's
Hospital. In the years Dr. Wood spent
in the work of his profession, he furnished
an exemplification of the highest virtues
of his calling, his career being one of
ability and usefulness. Dr. Wood's health
became undermined and he retired from
his practice on this account about six
years ago. Previous to this time he had
purchased a summer home at New Ca-
naan, Connecticut, and after his retire-
ment he purchased what was known as
the old Jones Farm on High Ridge road in
North Stamford, adjoining the town of
New Canaan. It is in the development
of this farm that Dr. Wood has engaged
to regain his health. He has about three
hundred acres of land, and specializes in
hogs and cattle. He has between fifty and
sixty Holsteins, all registered or eligible
to registration, and produces about eight
thousand quarts of milk annually, which
is sold at wholesale. His hogs are Berk-
shires, and large general farm crops are
raised for consumption on the farm.
Dr. Wood is a Republican in politics,
and while actively interested in all public
measures does not seek to hold office.
He is a member of Alpha Delta Phi fra-
ternity; of the New York Academy of
Medicine ; the American Medical Associ-
ation; the New York Surgical Society;
the Brooklyn Surgical Society, and presi-
dent of the Connecticut State Farm Bu-
reau Federation.
Dr. Wood married Ellen Davis, daugh-
ter of Theodore R. and Maria E. (Hale)
Davis, the former of New Haven, Con-
necticut, and Brooklyn, New York. Dr.
and Mrs. Wood were the parents of a
daughter, Eleanor Childs, and she mar-
ried Raymond L. Thompson, of Hartford,
and has one daughter, Harriet. With his
wife, Dr. Wood attends the Congrega-
tional church in New Canaan, of which
he is also a trustee.
104
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
BISHOP, Hubert E.,
Public-Spirited Citizen.
The name of Bishop belongs to a class
of names the origin of which is most in-
teresting. Writers on the subject of pa-
tronymics usually dispose of it briefly
by saying that Bishop is one of those
names derived from office, rank or posi-
tion ; but this does not explain how bish-
ops who in England were celibate in the
centuries following the Norman Conquest
could pass on the designation of their ec-
clesiastical rank as family names to
descendants. In those early times the
masses were illiterate. They were in-
structed or entertained by plays which
must necessarily deal with subjects
within the purview of their knowledge ;
hence the themes of their plays were
usually political or religious ; the Passion
play is a survivor of that type. The char-
acters in the plays represented dignitaries
of the church or State and the men who
played the various roles became known in
every-day life among their village friends
as Bishop, Priest, King, and so forth. In
course of time, as surnames were being
adopted, it was quite natural for families
to assume as their surnames the title of
the part in the folk-play acted by the head
of each family.
The progenitor of the Connecticut fam-
ily of Bishop was John Bishop, born in
England about 1600. He was one of the
twenty-five immigrants who come with
Rev. Henry Whitfield's company from
England and founded Guilford, Connecti-
cut, and his name was signed second to
the Plantation Covenant made on ship-
board, June 1, 1639.
(I) Benjamin Bishop, the first known
of the family of Hubert E. Bishop, was
born in Fairfield county, Connecticut, and
passed his life in the town of Norwalk,
where he followed the occupation of
blacksmith. He married Mary Camp,
born September 10, 1775, daughter of
Isaac and Rhoda (Keeler) Camp. His
father was Captain Jonathan Camp,
born December 17, 1712, died August
20, 1768. He married Ann Piatt, born
in 1710, died November 5, 1749, daugh-
ter of Richard and Hester Piatt, and
a descendant of Richard Piatt, who
came to New Haven, Connecticut, in 1638.
The father of Jonathan Camp was Samuel
Camp, who was born September 15, 1655,
and his will was made May 10, 1688. He
married, November 13, 1672, Hannah
Betts, born November 22, 1652, daughter
of Thomas and Mary Betts. Thomas
Betts was born in England in 1615-16, and
was one of the original settlers of Guil-
ford. He located in Norwalk in 1660, and
his will was executed, May 10, 1688.
Samuel Camp was a son of the immigrant,
Nicholas Camp, who married Sarah
Beard, daughter of the Widow Martha
Beard, whose husband is supposed to
have died on the voyage to this country.
The first Nicholas Camp lived in the town
of Nasing, County Essex, England, and
came to this country with his son, Nich-
olas Camp, Jr. The latter married, in
1652, Catherine Thompson, of New
Haven, Connecticut. They were the an-
cestors of Mary Camp, who became the
wife of Benjamin Bishop, as above noted.
Benjamin Bishop was "raised" in St.
John's Lodge, No. 6, Ancient Free and
Accepted Masons, of Norwalk, in 1809.
(II) George Galpin Bishop, son of Ben-
jamin and Mary (Camp) Bishop, was
born in Ridgefield, Connecticut, in 1803,
and died August 10, 1888. During his
youth he learned the trade of hatter,
which he followed for some years. He
was very observant in the methods of
making hats, and before he had been
many years in the business, invented a
process for making what was known as
105
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
felt cloth. He formed a company for the
manufacture of the product, and in 1838
the company was incorporated under the
name of the Union Manufacturing Com-
pany. This company had the unique dis-
tinction of being the first company in-
corporated in the State, and it was neces-
sary to pass a special law to authorize it.
The coming on of the Civil War at this
time brought a great many new companies
into existence, owing to the demands for
blankets and other woolen goods, and nat-
urally, a large amount of "shoddy goods"
were manufactured. It was impossible
to compete with the low prices and as a
result Mr. Bishop's company began the
manufacture of thread goods. This was
a successful and profitable business until
the passing of the Wilson Tariff Bill
which took away the profit on woolen
goods. Soon after this time Mr. Bishop
retired from active business. He was
among the most beloved citizens of Nor-
walk, and at his death was sincerely
mourned. In politics he was a Democrat,
and was ever willing to give of his time
or finances to the furthering of any move-
ment for the general welfare. He mar-
ried Julia A. Taylor, daughter of Benja-
min Taylor, and she died June 6, 1850.
(Ill) Adolphus Fitch Bishop, son of
George Galpin and Julia A. (Taylor)
Bishop, was born in Norwalk, Connecti-
cut, and educated in the public schools.
Early in life he entered the Bishop Felt
Mills and learned the business in every
detail. He mastered all of the processes
and for some time was superintendent
of the company, later becoming president,
which office he held as long as he lived.
He was a director of the National Bank
of Norwalk. Mr. Bishop married Julia
Carter, and they were the parents of two
sons: William Marcus, deceased; Hubert
E., of further mention. The family at-
tended St. Paul's Episcopal Church, of
Norwalk.
(IV) Hubert E. Bishop, son of Adol-
phus Fitch and Julia (Carter) Bishop,
was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, March
8, 1869. He was educated in Dr. Sel-
leck's school and also attended a school
conducted by his uncle, Alexander John-
ston, afterwards a member of the faculty
in Princeton College. Mr. Bishop com-
pleted his formal education in Williston
Seminary in East Hampton, Massachu-
setts, and then spent several years in
travel. He has traveled extensively in
Great Britain. Europe and Africa as well
as in this country. In 1904, Mr. Bishop
formed a partnership with Samuel Lynes,
a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in
this work, under the firm name of Bishop
& Lynes, to engage in the coal and wood
business and mason's supplies. They are
among the prominent business men of
Norwalk. Mr. Bishop is a life member
of the Norwalk Hospital and a director
of that institution. He gave the land on
which the Carnegie Library stands, and
this is but one of the instances which
prove his public-spiritedness.
Fraternally, he is a member of St.
John's Lodge, No. 6, Ancient Free and
Accepted Masons ; Washington Chapter,
Royal Arch Masons ; Clinton Comman-
dery, No. 3, Knights Templar ; Lafayette
Consistory, Sublime Princes of the Royal
Secret; and Pyramid Temple, Ancient
Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic
Shrine. For fourteen years Mr. Bishop
served as secretary and is still a director
of the Public Library. He is a member
of the Norwalk Club, the Norwalk Coun-
try Club, the Woodway Country Club, the
Westport Country Club, and golf and
travel are his principal recreations. In
politics he is a Republican, and in 1914
was a member of the State Senate, serv-
106
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
ing as chairman of the committee on mil-
itary affairs.
Mr. Bishop married, in 1903, Alice Bart-
lett Cram, daughter of George W. Cram,
and the Cram genealogy appears in con-
nection with the sketch of Mr. Bishop's
brother-in-law, Dr. George E. Cram, of
Norwalk.
KEMPER, Charles H.,
Manufacturer, Public Official.
Closely identified with the leather in-
terests of Connecticut, and justly ranked
among the leading citizens of Westport,
Charles H. Kemper was born there May
7, 1865.
(I) John Kemper, the first of the line
herein followed, was born in Holland.
He came to New York City in his early
life, and enlisted at about the age of
twenty-one years in the Revolutionary
War, and received a pension for his serv-
ices. It is here interesting to note the
origin of the name of Kemper, which is
from the old English, meaning a soldier.
It is derived from the Saxon, to kemp, or
combat. In many places in England this
name is retained in its original form even
to the present time, and a football match
is spoken of as a kemping, and thus in
the Saxon, a Kemper signifies a combat-
ant, a champion, a man-at-arms. The fol-
lowing is a record of the military services
of John Kemper: From August, 1777, to
the spring of 1779, he was wagon master
under Captain James Mearrs Clothier,
general of the army; in May, 1779, he en-
listed for six months as first midshipman
under Captain Montgomery on the ship,
"General Greene." In the spring of 1780
he enlisted for six months as midshipman
with Captain Stephen Decatur on the
brig, "Fair America," and in the spring
of 1781 he enlisted for six months as mid-
shipman under Captain James Stover on
the brig, "Hector." He was captured by
the British ship, "Iris," and imprisoned in
New York and in Mill Prison, England,
until the spring of 1782. In that year he
escaped and obtained passage to the West
Indies, finally arriving in Philadelphia in
November, 1782. After the war, he set-
tled in Hudson, New York, where he died
August 11, 1842, in the ninety-third year
of his age. He married Elizabeth Ann
Hopper, and their children were : Sophia,
married a Mr. Willard ; Daniel, married
Elizabeth Van Valkenburg; Charles Mor-
ton, of whom further; John, married Eliza
; Jane, married Samuel Crossman;
Elizabeth, married Samuel Mason.
(II) Charles Morton Kemper, son of
John and Elizabeth Ann (Hopper) Kem-
per, was born in 1791, and died in 1868.
He was a very prominent business man
of Hudson, New York, where he had a
slaughter house and a candle and soap
factory. His last years were spent in
Westport with his son, Charles H. Kem-
per. Charles M. Kemper married Cather-
ine Maxwell, daughter of Anthony Max-
well. She died in 183 1, aged thirty-four
years.
Anthony Maxwell, father of Catherine
(Maxwell) Kemper, was born in Scot-
land, December 12, 1754, and died in Hud-
son, New York, May 24, 1825. He was
about seven years old when his father,
William Maxwell, and his wife, brought
their family to America. They located
first in New York City. William Max-
well was the younger scion of a noble
family. He enlisted in 1777; was made
sergeant, May 1, 1777, and the following
July was made ensign. On February 28,
1778, he was commissioned second lieu-
tenant, and on April 24, 1779, first lieu-
tenant, and the same year received his
commission of captain. He also served
in Captain John Sanford's company, Gen-
eral Malcolm's regiment, one of the six-
107
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
teen regiments in the Continental service
officered by General Washington, and not
belonging to the line of any particular
State and credited to New York. An-
thony Maxwell married Eva Platner,
daughter of Henry and Katharine (Best)
Platner. Henry Platner was born in Hol-
land in 1731, and died in 1804. He com-
manded a company in the militia of Al-
bany, New York, and in May, 1775, the
company was enlisted for the defense of
the Colony. On February 25, 1778,
Henry Platner was promoted to first lieu-
tenant.
(Ill) Charles Henry Kemper, son of
Charles Morton and Catherine (Maxwell)
Kemper, was born in Hudson, New York,
July 22, 1817, and died October 22, 1896,
in Westport, Connecticut. At the age of
sixteen he apprenticed himself to a man
named Pinkham in Hudson, and learned
the trade of sailmaker. In 1835 he acci-
dentally shot his right hand through the
palm and this made it impossible for him
to use the sailmaker's "palm" and he had
to give up his trade. The same year he
located in Westport, Connecticut, and
learned the leather business with his
uncle, Daniel Kemper, who was already
in business there as a tanner. The factory
of which Daniel Kemper was the man-
ager, was built in 1835 by R. & H. Haight,
of New York, and in 1855 was sold to
Charles H. Kemper. The latter estab-
lished the business of which his son is
now the head, and made a specialty of
fancy leather for hatters. A large and
very successful business was built up, and
Mr. Kemper continued active in its man-
agement until his death.
Mr. Kemper was a Democrat in politics,
and for two terms represented his party
in the State Legislature. Mr. Kemper
also served as a member of the Board of
Selectmen for several years, and was
among: the useful citizens of his com-
munity. He was a leader among the Uni-
versalists in a day less tolerant than the
present in religious matters and when it
required a good deal of courage to espouse
a denomination then so unpopular.
Mr. Kemper married Caroline Matilda
Smith, daughter of Cornell Smith, and
they were the parents of eight children.
(IV) Charles H. Kemper, son of
Charles Henry and Caroline Matilda
(Smith) Kemper, was educated in the
public schools and in a private academy.
When he was twenty-one years old he
took a position teaching school, contin-
uing for two years, at the end of which
time he entered the factory of his father
to learn in detail the practical side of
leather making. In 1893 the old plant
was sold and the present one on River-
side avenue purchased. The product is
still fancy leathers, but in variety the
product has broadened greatly beyond the
lines made for hatters, including hatters
leathers which are sold direct to the hat-
ting trade. They also make lines for fine
book binding and so forth. A representa-
tive is maintained in New York and also
in Chicago with a salesroom. In 1913 the
business was incorporated under the name
of The Charles H. Kemper Company,
with Mr. Kemper as president, and his
son, Charles M. Kemper, as treasurer,
and John A. Kimber as secretary. It is
the oldest business of its kind in the
United States and one hundred or more
are employed. Mr. Kemper has been a
member of the Westport School Board
for twelve years, and in many other ways
is active in the public life of Westport.
Mr. Kemper married Carrie Louise
Gray, daughter of David and Louisa
(Burwell) Gray, of Westport, and they
are the parents of four children: 1. Car-
rie Louise, married W. F. Osborne, of
Westport. 2. Edith, married John A.
Kimber, of Westport, and has four sons,
108
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Burwell, Nelson, Donald and Harry. 3.
Emma S., married W. Sterling Atwater,
and is the mother of two sons, Sterling
and Kemper. 4. Charles Maxwell, born
October 16, 1889, was educated in the
Chase School, Norwalk, and in the Ste-
vens Institute of Technology, Hoboken,
New Jersey, and since his formal educa-
tion was completed has been associated
with his father in the business; he mar-
ried Helen Prentice, and has two children,
Doris and Charles. The family are at-
tendants of the Episcopal church, of
Westport, and aid in its support.
MILLS, John Archer,
Business Man.
One of the oldest names to be found in
the history of the American colonies is
that of Mills ; it is found scattered
throughout Maine and Connecticut.
There have been many prominent men
bearing this name, among whom are:
Clark Mills, the sculptor of the statue of
General Jackson, and Darius O. Mills, the
philanthropist. The family of John
Archer Mills was early settled in Con-
necticut. His grandfather, William H.
Mills, lived in that part of Norwalk called
Broad River. He was a farmer, and mar-
ried Elizabeth Archer, daughter of James
Archer. The latter was born in England,
and married Sarah Newcomb, daughter
of Eleazer and Anna (McGuire) New-
comb, born about 1788. Mr. and Mrs.
Mills were the parents of three children,
one of them, Daniel A., of whom further.
Daniel A. Mills, second son of William
H. and Elizabeth (Archer) Mills, was
born in Norwalk, December 25, 1842, and
died April 12, 1891. He attended the
common schools, then learned the trade
of stationary engineer, which he followed
in New York City for many years, and
during this time made his home there.
He returned to Norwalk in the spring of
1887, and after this time was practically
retired from active business. Mr. Mills
was a member of the old Volunteer Fire
Department, and received a medal for
thirteen years continuous service without
missing a call, a truly remarkable record.
He married Sarah A. Little, daughter of
John Little, of Leeds, England, born Au-
gust 3, 1844, died July 31, 1920. John
Little was born November 21, 1799, and
died March 21, 1875. He learned the
trade of tailor and followed it in England
until 1848. In that year he came to Amer-
ica, and two years later was followed by
his second wife and five children, his
oldest son, John, having come with him,
locating in New York City. There the
father followed his trade until 1862, in
which year he went to Hastings-on-the-
Hudson. About 1864 he came to Nor-
walk, and for a time followed his trade,
until he went to work in Bishop's Mill.
He married for his second wife, Mary
Nicholson, daughter of Peter and Hannah
Nicholson, an English woman. Mr. and
Mrs. Daniel A. Mills were the parents of
seven children, six of whom grew to ma-
turity, as follows: 1. Eliza, married
Harry A. Hendrick, of Norwalk; she died
March 12, 1921. 2. Mary B., married
Joseph H. Cable, of Norwalk. 3. George
B., of South Norwalk. 4. John Archer,
of further mention. 5. Sarah R., married
Frederick Ridell, of Norwalk. 6. William
H., of Norwalk.
John Archer Mills, fourth child of Dan-
iel A. and Sarah A. (Little) Mills, was
born in Norwalk, August 24, 1877. He
attended the public schools until he was
thirteen years old and then went to work
in the shoe department of Lounsbury &
Mathewson. For seventeen years Mr.
Mills gave his attention to this business,
most of the time being located in New
York City and Brooklyn. Such persist-
IOQ
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
ency must surely bring its reward, and
Mr. Mills received part of his when he
was placed in charge of a plant in New
York City. Sometimes a radical change
gives a man an opportunity to realize
whether or not he has chosen the occu-
pation most suited to him, and in 1909
such a change came to Mr. Mills. He re-
ceived his start by taking a position as
chauffeur for four years, from 1909 until
the latter part of 1912. During this time
he learned all about cars in general, and
so well did the work appeal to him that
he started in the garage business on his
own account in 1912. After two years
Mr. Mills gave up the garage part of the
business and opened an auto supply store
on Wall street, Norwalk, handling a gen-
eral line of supplies ; the business is
incorporated under the name of the Nor-
walk Supply Shop, and Mr. Mills is
president and treasurer. In 1920 he added
a general line of hardware, paints, and
oils to his stock of auto supplies, and this
branch of the business has developed in
prosperous manner.
In politics Mr. Mills is a Republican,
and has served as a member of the Re-
publican town and city committees for
some years. He has also been a delegate
to State conventions, and has held the
office of justice of the peace for several
terms. Fraternally he is a member of St.
John's Lodge, No. 6, Free and Accepted
Masons, of Norwalk ; Washington Chap-
ter, No. 24, Royal Arch Masons ; Im-
proved Order of Red Men ; Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks, and the
Norwalk Club. Mr. Mills is essentially
what has been aptly termed a self-made
man. Early in youth, with few advan-
tages, he began to make his own way, and
his courage, energy, and determination
have won for him a success wholly com-
mendable. With material prosperity has
come that which is more difficult by far
to acquire, high standing in his commun-
ity, and an honored place in the regard
of his fellow-citizens.
Mr. Mills married Sarah Louise Hod-
getts, daughter of Charles A. and Sarah
Louise (Hodgetts) Hodgetts. Mr. Hod-
getts was born in Dudley, England, while
his wife was born in New York City of
English parents.
WILLSON, Thomas G.,
Member of Important Family.
Before surnames were universally
adopted, that is about the thirteenth cen-
tury, there were many and varied ways
in designating members of a family in
order to distinguish them. One of the
most common was to give a family a
name similar to the location of their home,
as At-Wood, near a wood. Another way
was to refer to the son in the possessive
case, as John's son and Will's son, using
the Christian name of the father. It is
in this latter class that the name of Will-
son belongs, being derived from the
Christian name Will and son. Many fam-
ilies retained but one "1," and this fact
has made it very difficult for the genea-
logist and the historian to distinguish
between descendants of the name.
(I) The Willson family herein under
consideration were early settled in Rhode
Island. John Willson was born in 1650,
and died in 1725. He married, before
November, 1671, Mary Lyon, born in
August, 1649, m Stamford, and died in
1713. This John Willson was in Bedford
and Rye, New York, at different times.
He was the father of Samuel Willson, of
whom further.
(II) Samuel Willson, son of John and
Mary (Lyon) Willson, was born in 1678.
He came from Rhode Island in or pre-
vious to the year 1710, settled at Rye, and
operated a ferry between Rye and Oyster
no
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Bay. He married Susannah Ogden,
daughter of Joseph and Susannah Ogden,
and she died in 1770.
(III) Samuel (2) Willson, son of Sam-
uel (1) and Susannah (Ogden) Willson,
was born in 1708, and died July 2, 1756.
He married Phebe Lyon, and she died
January 29, 1770. Before the war Sam-
uel Willson removed to Somers.
(IV) Jotham Willson, son of Samuel
(2) and Phebe (Lyon) Willson, was born
in 1746, and died November 18, 181 1. He
married Mary Brundage, daughter of
James Brundage, who was born in 1754,
and died October 31, 1800. They were
the parents of Jotham (2) Willson, of
whom further.
(V) Jotham (2) Willson, son of Jo-
tham (1) and Mary (Brundage) Willson,
was born February 2, 1774, and died Oc-
tober 28, 1828. He married Sarah Green,
born in June, 1777, died August 1, 1865,
daughter of James and Martha Green.
(VI) James Willson, son of Jotham
(2) and Sarah (Green) Willson, was born
October 29, 1802, and died November 5,
1878. He lived in Port Chester, New
York, and surrounding territory. He
married, February 21, 1828, Sarah Green,
born December 28, 1796, died March 5,
i860, daughter of Joseph Green. Joseph
Green was born February 14, 1768, and
died December 31, 1836. He married,
December 25, 1790, Elizabeth Merritt,
born March 22, 1775, and died April 12,
1843, daughter of Daniel Merritt.
(VII) Thomas Green Willson, son of
James and Sarah (Green) Willson, was
born at Greenwich, Connecticut, Febru-
ary 21, 1836, and died November 26, 1896.
He spent his early life on the home farm
in Port Chester, and subsequent to his
marriage bought a farm across the road
from the homestead, which is now owned
by the Blind Brook Golf Club. Mr. Will-
son followed farming all of his life and
always took an active interest in civic
affairs of his community. He was a Dem-
ocrat in politics, and served as highway
commissioner of the town of Rye for
eighteen years. He was also a delegate
to several conventions.
Mr. Willson married, February 23,
1857, Sarah Elizabeth Smith, daughter of
Josiah Smith, of Stamford. Mr. and Mrs.
Willson were the parents of five children:
1. James Green, a sketch of whom fol-
lows. 2. George Dudley, who is de-
ceased. 3. Jeannie, born September 8,
1863; married Freeman H. Merritt. 4.
Francis Finley, born September 12, 1867,
deceased. 5. William Jay, a sketch of
whom appears elsewhere. The Willson
family have long been members of the
Episcopal church.
(The Smith Line).
(I) Henry Smith, the immigrant ances-
tor of the family, was born in England, in
1619, and was early settled in Stamford,
where he died. The name of his first wife
is not on record, but she was the mother
of all his children.
(II) Daniel Smith, son of Henry
Smith, was born in 1648, and died March
3, 1740. He married Hannah Close
Knapp, born March 26, 1660, died March
29, 1721.
(III) Joseph Smith, son of Daniel and
Hannah Close (Knapp) Smith, was born
in the 1600's, died March 12, 1755. He
married Mary Cornell, and their son was
Amos Smith, of whom further.
(IV) Amos Smith, son of Joseph and
Mary (Cornell) Smith, was born October
17, 1716, and died in 1765. He married
Sarah Blackman, who died in 1772. They
were the parents of Lieutenant Josiah
Smith, of whom further.
(V) Lieutenant Josiah Smith, son of
Amos and Sarah (Blackman) Smith, was
born July 23, 1750, and died November 29,
in
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
1830. He married Sarah Reynolds, born
February 8, 1762, and died August 31,
1849. They were the parents of Josiah
Smith, who was born June 20, 1803, and
died February 10, 1878. He married,
September 22, 1830, Betsey Lockwood,
who was born May 2, 1813, died March
4, 1855. Their daughter, Sarah Elizabeth
Smith, married Thomas Green Willson
(q. v.).
WILLSON, James Green,
Business Man, Public Official.
James Green Willson, son of Thomas
Green and Sarah E. (Smith) Willson
(q. v.), was born October 23, 1858, and
grew to manhood in the town of Rye,
New York. There he went to school,
and also attended the Smith Institute, at
Port Chester, New York. He remained
on the home farm until 1882, and then
moved to Greenwich, Connecticut, where
he located on a farm of one hundred and
eighty acres, on the Round Hill road, and
engaged in general farming. He still re-
sides on this farm, although outside in-
terests take up the major portion of his
time. He is a member of the Maher
Brothers Corporation, and has been a
member of its board of directors since
1907.
Mr. Willson is a Democrat in politics,
and has several times been honored with
positions of public trust and responsibil-
ity. In 1898 he was elected first select-
man of the town of Greenwich, and con-
tinued in that office for eight consecutive
years. During his term of office there
were many thorough investigations of
public affairs made. He was instrumen-
tal in the removal of the almshouse from
Round Hill to Parsonage road, which was
the result of a strenuous fight. During
this same time the town hall was pre-
sented to the town of Greenwich by the
late Robert M. Bruce, and Mr. Willson
had the privilege and the honor of making
the speech of acceptance on behalf of the
town. He has since served a number of
terms on the Town School Committee.
Mr. Willson is a member of Acacia
Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons ; and
of Rittenhouse Chapter, Royal Arch Ma-
sons.
Mr. Willson married Harriet Husted,
daughter of Mills Hobby Husted, of
Greenwich, and their children are: 1.
Henrietta, born in Greenwich, married
Fred J. Ferguson, and they were the par-
ents of one daughter, Jean, now deceased.
2. Mabel, wife of Max J. C. Leuchs, and
they have two children : Augusta, and
John James. 3. Josephine Clark, wife of
Dr. B. J. Sands, and the mother of three
daughters : Esther, Josephine, and Doro-
thy. 4. Marie G. 5. James Green, Jr.,
who served during the late World War.
6. Hawley Griswold. Mr. Willson and
family are members of the Episcopal
church.
WILLSON, WiUiam Jay,
In Public Utility Service.
William Jay Willson, son of Thomas
Green and Sarah Elizabeth (Smith) Will-
son (q. v.), was born in Port Chester,
Rye township, New York, February 19,
1873. Ete was educated in the public
schools of his native town, and in 1889
engaged in his first work in the business
world. In that year the water-works were
being installed in Tarrytown, New York,
and Mr. Willson entered the employ of
John O. Merritt, superintendent of con-
struction. He has been identified with
this line of work to the present time, and
has at different times been located in
White Plains and Greenwich. In the
latter city he became superintendent of
the Greenwich Water Company, in 1906,
112
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
and the following year accepted a similar
position in addition from the Port Chester
Water Company. He has attained suc-
cess in his chosen field, and has been more
fortunate than most men for the reason
that since accepting his first position he
has followed similar lines.
Mr. Willson is a Republican, and takes
more than a passive interest in public af-
fairs. Fraternally, he is a member of
Acacia Lodge, Free and Accepted Ma-
sons, of Greenwich.
Mr. Willson married (first) July 23,
1902, Victoria D. Sublett, of Petersburg,
Virginia, who died June 12, 191 1. He
married (second) Florence L. Close, born
September 12, 1886, daughter of Peter
Voorhis and Anna Sutherland (Thomas)
Close (see Close line).
(The Close Line).
The name Close is of agricultural ori-
gin, though intimately associated with ec-
clesiastical usage, in which it is applied
specifically to denote the precinct of a
Cathedral or Abbey. Lower's "Patrony-
mica Brittanica" defines it as follows:
"Close, any piece of ground that is en-
closed with hedge, wall or water." The
word is from the Latin clausus, past par-
ticiple of clando, and meaning closed, en-
closed, surrounded. The spelling of the
name has varied with the custom of the
times and the degree of literacy of its
writers, Cloos, Closse, Closs, Clos, Clusse,
Cluss, being various renderings of the
name now used as Close.
According to Hotten's lists of emi-
grants to America, Phettyplace Close
came to Virginia in 1608, and was granted
a patent of one hundred acres of land on
the James river, in the corporation of
Henrico, in 1626. In response to an in-
quiry as to him, the secretary and li-
brarian of the Virginia Historical Society,
under date of May 29, 1908, states that
Conn— 8— 8 I
he has no "evidence to show whether
Phettyplace Close (Clause) left a family.
* * * As the name does not appear here
later, I think that he was one of the nu-
merous settlers who succumbed to disease
or was killed by the Indians." The name
of Close in New England first appears in
the will of William Frost, of Fairfield,
Connecticut, dated January 6, 1644, where
one Goodman Close is mentioned as hav-
ing one of the testator's heifers. Good-
man Close probably died at Fairfield,
about 1653, and left surviving him his
widow Elizabeth and the following chil-
dren : Hannah, Thomas, Joseph, and
Mary. His widow afterwards married
George Stuckey, had one child, Elizabeth
Stuckey, and died in Stamford, Connecti-
cut, September 4, 1656. George Stuckey
bought land at Windsor, Connecticut, in
1640, sold out in 1645, and later removed
to Stamford, Connecticut, with his step-
children.
According to the records, the Close
family in New England, in 1660, consisted
of Hannah Close, who, June 9, 1657, mar-
ried Joshua Knapp ; Thomas Close, and
Mary Close, who, June 26, 1668, married
Samuel Holly. A search of the parish
registers for County York, England,
seems to indicate that Goodman Close
was born in Grinton parish, where the
family attained considerable prominence
about 1606, came to America about 1642,
and finally settled in Fairfield, Connecti-
cut, where he died. He and his wife
Elizabeth had children : Hannah, born
about 1632; Joseph, born about 1634;
Thomas, of whom further ; Mary, born
about 1640.
Thomas Close, son of Goodman Close,
was born about 1637, and died in Green-
wich, Connecticut, in 1709. He settled
permanently in Greenwich, and was one
of the original patentees named in the
patent granted to the town of Greenwich
13
1
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
by the General Assembly in May, 1665.
He was a member of the General Assem-
bly in 1701. His will was dated Decem-
ber 30, 1708, and probated in 1709. He
married, in 1669, Sarah Hardy, daughter
of Richard and Ann (Husted) Hardy.
Children: Sarah, born December 10, 1670;
Hannah, born March 12, 1672; Thomas,
born December 16, 1674 ; Joseph, of whom
further; Benjamin, born May 18, 1679;
Mary, born in 1682; Elizabeth, born Au-
gust 5, 1684; Ruth, born November 1,
1687 ; John, born April 8, 1689; and Lydia,
born in 1690.
Joseph Close, son of Thomas Close,
was born November 20, 1676, and died
October 4, 1760. He married, in 1701,
Rebecca Tompkins, born in 1679, died
November 13, 1761. Children: Joseph
(2), of whom further; Elizabeth, born
July 11, 1704; Solomon, born June 23,
1706.
Joseph (2) Close, son of Joseph (1)
Close, was born September 20, 1702, and
died January 4, 1760. He married (first)
May 29, 1728, Eunice Hait, who died
March 7, 1740. He married (second)
July 26, 1744, Mary Merritt. Children,
all by his first wife : Joseph, born July
21, 1729; Eunice, born May 10, 1731 ; Je-
rusha, born April 21, 1733 ; Odle, of whom
further.
Odle Close, son of Joseph (2) Close,
was born October 22, 1738, and died April
26, 1812. He was an officer in the Revo-
lution. He married, December 16, 1756,
Bethia Reynolds, daughter of Gideon
Reynolds, born February 27, 1742, died
February 17, 1832. Children: Odle (2),
born January 11, 1758; Bethia, born May
6, 1760; Gideon, born December 6, 1762;
Gilbert, born March 7, 1765; Jonathan
Odle, of whom further ; Mary, born April
16, 1770; Tompkins, born May 11, 1772;
Eunice, born August 12, 1774; Elizabeth,
born July 16, 1776; Shadrach, born Feb-
ruary 9, 1779; and Nancy, born March 17,
1781.
Jonathan Odle Close, son of Odle Close,
was born December 6, 1768; married
(first) Mary Mead, born January 10, 1775,
died April 3, 1805; married (second) May
21, 1806, Rebecca Lyon, born November
10, 1765, died May 19, 1858. Children,
all by first wife : Elizabeth, born March,
1793; Gilbert; Horace, born 1796; Wil-
liam ; and Jonathan Allen, of whom fur-
ther.
Jonathan Allen Close, son of Jonathan
Odle Close, was born in 1802, and died
February 10, 1875. He was a farmer, a
Democrat in politics, and a Methodist.
For several terms he served in the Legis-
lature, and was also selectman for the
town of Greenwich, as well as holding
other minor offices. He married Mary
Hart, of White Plains, New York, born
in January, 1803, died January 31, 1879.
Children : Allen Hart, of whom further ;
Mary ; George W. ; and Martha.
Allen Hart Close, son of Jonathan A.
Close, was born April 26, 1829, and died
May 8, 1904. He was educated in the
Greenwich Academy, and lived on the
homestead, where he followed farming
for many years. In politics he was a
Democrat, and held the office of justice
of the peace and assessor. He was one
of the organizers of the Greenwich Wa-
ter Company. Mr. Close was of an in-
ventive mind, and although he did not
enter this field from a commercial stand-
point, many of his appliances were in
use on his own farm. He married, March
14, 1854, Gertrude Voorhis Spencer. She
was descended from Steven Coerte Van
Voorhees, who came to this country in
April, 1660, from Holland. Children:
Jonathan Allen, born February 11, 1856;
Jacob Voorhis, born June 19, 1859; Peter
Voorhis, of whom further ; and Hannah
Gertrude, born July 13, 1864.
114
A
i§
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Peter Voorhis Close, son of Allen Hart
Close, was born December 20, i860, in
Greenwich, Connecticut, and attended the
public schools there and Greenwich Acad-
emy. He learned the mason's trade and
afterward farmed on the old Close home-
stead at Clapboard Ridge. For the last
twenty-five years he has carried on a build-
ing and jobbing business in New York
City. He married, November 18, 1885, at
Greenwich, Anna Sutherland Thomas,
born July 14, 1866, at New York City, died
December 21, 1917, at Greenwich, Con-
necticut, daughter of Daniel and Mary
(Sutherland) Thomas. Children: 1.
Florence Livingston, married, September
10, 1912, William Jay Willson (q. v.). 2.
Walter Guion, born December 3, 1888,
married Elizabeth Hull Jones, and has
one child, Allen Thomas, born March 8,
1917. 3. Harold Thomas, born July 28,
1892; he enlisted in the Twelfth Com-
pany, C. C. A. N. G., Greenwich, Connec-
ticut, trained at Fisher's Island and Fort
Wright, New York, and was mustered
into the regular army, in August, 1917.
Afterward he was transferred to Battery
E, Fifty-sixth Coast Artillery Corps, and
was on the Aisne-Marne and Meuse-Ar-
gonne fronts. In all he served twenty-
seven months, from June 14, 1917, to Sep-
tember 24, 1919.
BURLEY, Captain Walter,
Master Mariner.
The name of Burley is an ancient one,
having originated in England. It
may have been derived from burler, a
dresser of cloth, burly, boisterous, or
compounded from bur, burgh, elevated,
and ley, meaning untilled ground, viz.,
high and untilled ground. Burgh also
means a fortification, a castle, and ley,
leigh, means a field, viz., a castle on the
field, or defense of the lowly. The vari-
ations in spelling the name have been
Burleigh, Borleigh, Burghly, Burghley,
Birgeley, Burley, Berley, Birley, Burlie,
Burle, Burlly, Bourle, Burly, Budley,
Burdley, Berdley, Birdley, Birdly, Bodley,
Borley, Barley, Buries, Beareley, Brally,
Brally, Bowley, Burhely, and perhaps
Burleson and Burlison.
Giles Burley was an inhabitant of Ips-
wich in 1648, and a commoner in 1664.
Felts' "History of Ipswich" says of the
little we learn of Gyles Budley, "he left a
wife, Elizabeth, and children, Andrew,
James, Giles, and perhaps John, the
youngest, who probably died before his
father. He was a planter, living eight
years on Brooke street, and owning divi-
sion lot No. 105, situated upon Great Hill,
Hogg Island. On June 13, 1668, Good-
wife Birdley had granted trees for one
hundred rayles and one hundred posts.
February 23, 1669, Rebecca, widow of
Giles Birdley, married Abraham ffitt of
Ipswich. Inventory of his estate
amounted to £241 4s. 6d."
An American branch of the family
bears arms as follows :
Arms — Paly of six argent and gules, on a chief
paly six crescents all counterchanged.
Crest — A stag's head erased gules.
Captain Walter Burley was a son of
Samuel Burley, grandson of Silas Burley,
and great-grandson of Henry Burley, who
died in February, 1776. Henry Burley's
wife, Sarah, died in February, 1826, at the
age of eighty-seven years. Silas Burley
died March 14, 1833, aged seventy-one
years, and his wife, Deborah, died Sep-
tember 30, 1845, aged eighty-two years.
Deborah Burley was responsible for the
name of Dumpling Pond, North Mianus,
town of Greenwich, in the following man-
ner: She was noted for the excellence of
her cooking and took great pride in her
reputation. On one occasion when her
husband and his farm hands came in from
US
ENCYCLOPEDIA OE BIOGRAPHY
the fields late for dinner, Silas Burley
complained that the dumplings, which
formed a part of the meal, and which had
been standing for some time, were water
soaked. This remark greatly offended his
wife, who replied that they would stay
water soaked, and threw them in the
pond, which thereafter was known as
Dumpling Pond. The homestead farm
was located on the eastern shore of this
sheet of water. Samuel Burley was born
on this farm, married Elizabeth Ferris,
and died October 5, 1835, aged thirty-
three years and two months.
Captain Walter Burley, son of Samuel
and Elizabeth (Ferris) Burley, was born
October 14, 1833, on the Burley home-
stead, and died October 10, 1909. His fa-
ther's death occurred when he was young,
and as a boy he became self-supporting.
He early began to "follow the water,"
and as a young man became captain of
a market sloop plying between Cos Cob
and New York City. Later he owned a
schooner, which he operated in the coast-
wise trade, and he afterward built an-
other vessel on the Little East river, in
Mathews county, Virginia, and for a time
ran her as a freighter on the river. Sub-
sequently, he brought her North and
sailed her in his shipping operations on
Long Island Sound. For two years Cap-
tain Burley was a resident of New York
City, became a prosperous shipping mas-
ter, and acquired a fleet consisting of a
number of vessels, including barges and
a steam tug. During his later years he
operated a vessel under contract with the
Stamford Manufacturing Company, car-
rying their freight between Stamford and
New York City. Captain Walter Burley
was a well known figure in the shipping
trade along the Sound, and during the long
years of his active life was respected for
his unbending integrity and for his strict,
fair dealing. Whether sailing as master
of his own vessel, or directing the opera-
tions of his ships from his office, he held
the good-will and regard of his associates.
He was firm, very kindly in manner, knew
the Sound as few captains did, and pos-
sessed business instincts and qualities
that brought him a generous measure of
prosperity. In 1883 he retired from the
sea and engaged in the coal business, his
line of endeavor for the remainder of his
active years.
Captain Walter Burley married Hettie
Faulkner Burger, daughter of Gabriel
Samuel Burger, of Rye Neck, New York,
and they were the parents of: 1. Annie,
married Arthur Dodge, of Stamford.
Mrs. Dodge, a trained vocalist and widely
known as a public singer, has devoted her
talents for many years to religious serv-
ice, and has sung frequently in Stamford
church choirs. Mr. and Mrs. Dodge are
the parents of: Mary, married Nicholas
Thiel Ficker, of New York, and has two
children, Nicholas T., Jr., and Dorothy
Dodge ; Hettie, died aged four years ;
Walter Burley, married Vera Provost
Shearer, of Stamford, and has three chil-
dren, Elizabeth, Virginia, and Anne; Dor-
othy, married Jarvis Ralph Harbeck, of
Chicago. 2. Clarence A., a sketch of
whom follows. 3. Jennie L., married
Norton Stanley Bird, of New Haven. 4.
Nettie, married Watson Dodge Wood-
ward, M. D., deceased, of New York City,
5. Edith Melvina, married Harry More-
house. The mother of these children died
August 15. 1898, aged fifty-six years; she
was a member of the Congregational
church, a woman of noble life and char-
acter.
BURLEY, Dr. Clarence A.,
Man of Enterprise.
In professional practice and in agricul-
ture, two widely separated lines of en-
116
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
deavor, Dr. Clarence A. Burley has been
equally successful. Entering dental prac-
tice from business association, in 1904 he
retired from his profession to devote him-
self to general farming and gardening in
his native State, and this, in connection
with real estate operations, has occupied
him to the present time.
Dr. Burley is a son of Captain Walter
and Hettie Faulkner (Burger) Burley
(q. v.), and was born at Rye Neck, West-
chester county, New York, February 5,
1862. He obtained his education in the
local public schools and finished in George
Glendening's private school at Stamford,
spending his summers on the water with
his father, and when he had finished his
scholastic training he passed six or seven
years with Captain Burley. In 1872 he
came to Stamford, between which place
and New York his father operated a
freight schooner for the Stamford Manu-
facturing Company. In 1883 Captain
Burley retired from the sea and Clarence
A. Burley was associated with him in coal
dealings until 1888. In that year Dr.
Burley began the study of dentistry
under the preceptorship of his brother-in-
law, Dr. W. D. Woodward, in New York
City, and upon the completion of his pro-
fessional training opened an office in that
city, and for a number of years continued
in dental practice.
In 1904 Dr. Burley withdrew from his
metropolitan connections in dentistry in
order to engage in general farming and
large scale market gardening, an occupa-
tion he found both congenial and remu-
nerative. In 1916 Dr. Burley came into
possession of the property known as the
Enos Lockwood farm, an estate of sixty-
three acres, and this land he cultivated
until its close proximity to Stamford's
residential district made its value too
great for agricultural purposes. He then
began its platting into building lots, and
has since been engaged in the erection of
attractive homes thereon, which have
found a ready market in this pleasant cen-
ter. Until 1917 Dr. Burley had a herd
of about thirty cows on his farm and sold
their milk to local dealers.
Dr. Burley married (first) September
21, 1892, Frances Bristol, daughter of An-
thony Bristol, of Indianapolis, and they
became the parents of one son, Edward
Keith. Mrs. Burley died December 30,
1895. Dr. Burley married (second) April
15, 1897, Edith Lockwood, adopted
daughter of Enos Lockwood. Dr. and
Mrs. Burley are members of the Congre-
gational church.
The record of Dr. Burley as an agri-
culturist furnishes conclusive evidence of
the fact that the same thoughtful and in-
telligent direction of ability and energy
which wins success in professional life
and in the business world renders farming
distinctly profitable, and entitles farmers
of his type to high places among the rep-
resentative men of their communities.
DOLGE, Carl Bruno,
Manufacturer, Inventor.
In the shaping of the career of Carl
Bruno Dolge, there were unusual char-
acteristics which, combined, won for him
success, both in business and private life.
Mr. Dolge was born in the town of Leip-
sig, Germany, in 1847, and died in West-
port, Connecticut, December 2, 1916.
After a life full of strife and activity dur-
ing the Revolutionary War in his native
land, he came to this country, September
9, 1866. Possessed of natural talent as a
wood engraver, he procured a position
with Harper Brothers, and many of the
best illustrations in Harper's magazines
of that period are the product of his skill.
In 1873 Mr. Dolge inaugurated on a
small scale in Brooklyn a new industry,
117
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
the manufacture of felt for piano ham-
mers, a quality that had hitherto been
imported, owing to the pecuniary losses
which had until that time attended the
then scarcely understood manufacture of
this product in the United States. Mr.
Dolge was the first one to overcome these
difficulties and in a short time was pro-
ducing a grade of felt of such excellence
that it found ready sale on the European
markets. In less than three years the
Brooklyn factory proved inadequate to
supply the constantly increasing demand
and the plant was transferred to a small
village in the Adirondacks, called Brock-
et's Bridge, where can be seen today the
immense buildings of a prosperous com-
pany whose existence is due solely to the
superior abilities of Carl B. Dolge.
Through the efforts of his numerous
employees, to whom he had endeared
himself by his equitable and kind dealings,
Mr. Dolge was appointed postmaster, and
the name of the village changed by legal
enactment to Dolgeville ; all the positions
of honor, road commissioner, school trus-
tee, the presidency of various commercial
enterprises and societies were given to
him. However, the strain placed upon his
physical and mental powers soon became
so great that in order to avoid fatal con-
sequences Mr. Dolge was compelled to
abandon these various activities and re-
turned to Brooklyn, where in complete
rest and quiet he for a long time tried to
restore his shattered health.
As soon as his health permitted hirftu
again to engage in business, he embarked
with a Mr. Huncke in the manufacture of
the celebrated embalming fluid, "Utopia."
That was in April, 1886, and although this
new venture was entirely different from
the business in which he had for so many
years engaged, Mr. Dolge in a short time
mastered all the details and soon suc-
ceeded in bringing his embalming fluid,
"Utopia," before the undertakers of
America. During all his life his policy
was to give the best article possible for
the price charged, and on that foundation
Mr. Dolge developed a large and suc-
cessful business. His inventive genius
was always active in devising new and
improved appliances and instruments for
the use of embalmers, among which may
be mentioned : The atmosphere pump ; the
extracting needle ; the arterial binders ;
the draining tube ; the infant trocar and
needle ; the professional wallet ; tube sup-
porters ; graduated bottle ; hypodermic
instrument ; leecher, etc.
The achievement in which he took the
most pride was the founding alone, un-
aided, and in the face of discouraging
opposition, of the United States College
of Embalming. This was the dream of
all progressive undertakers, and through
Mr. Dolge's efforts it became a reality,
and a place of instruction in the art of
embalming. This Mr. Dolge accom-
plished in opposition to friendly admoni-
tions ; in spite of the effort of competitors
to impede ; without any certainty of fu-
ture pecuniary returns commensurate
with the large investment and the expense
of demonstrators, costly paraphernalia,
etc. His enterprise and unswerving hon-
esty won for him the esteem and sincere
friendship of all with whom he came in
contact.
Among other valuable discoveries cred-
ited to Mr. Dolge were the value of for-
maldehyde as an embalming fluid, and the
introduction of the first nonpoisonous em-
balming fluid. In 1886, the same year in
which Dr. Dolge became identified with
the manufacture of embalming fluids, he
formed a partnership with Jean D. Ben-
der, and established the Atlantic Starch
Works in Brooklyn. The plant was de-
118
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
stroyed by fire in 1890; a factory site was
then purchased in Westport and the busi-
ness carried on there for many years. Dr.
Dolge sold his interest in this company
in 1892.
So great was the attachment of many
of his employees for Mr. Dolge that when
he began his operations in Westport some
of these removed there from Dolgeville.
The business in Westport is carried on
under the name of the C. B. Dolge Com-
pany, and the product manufactured, dis-
infectants, is sold direct to institutions,
hospitals, factories, and to the retail trade
jobbers.
As a pastime and recreation from his
business, Mr. Dolge took up landscape
painting. He painted for his own pleas-
ure and also that of his immediate friends,
and his work has been admired and
praised by many. One who had been
privileged to see his paintings wrote : "It
was indeed a rare treat to be allowed to
inspect the many water colors and oil
paintings which adorn his handsome
home and fill several portfolios beside.
Genuine love of nature is in evidence in
every particular picture." His favorite
sketching place was Lake George, and
here he summered with his family for
many years. His treatment of Lake
George is historically, as well as artis-
tically, a noteworthy achievement. In
the parlor of his late home hangs a full
length portrait of his father, one of the
heroes of the German revolutionary
movement, the loving work of C. B.
Dolge. Mr. Dolge was a man of liberal
Democratic views, most considerate to-
wards his employees, and beloved by
them.
Mr. Dolge married Henrietta Slister,
and they were the parents of two sons :
Karl Alfred, and Arthur H., sketches of
whom follow.
DOLGE, Karl Alfred,
Manufacturer.
Karl Alfred Dolge, the eldest son of
Carl Bruno and Henrietta (Slister) Dolge
(q. v.), was born in 1880. He attended
Packard's Business College in New York
City, and then entered his father's busi-
ness. He was soon promoted to the of-
fice of treasurer, which position he held
until the death of his father, in 1916. In
the latter year Mr. Dolge became presi-
dent, succeeding his honored father. He
is among the leading citizens of West-
port, and active in all public matters. Mr.
Dolge is a member of the Westport Club ;
the Westport Country Club, and the Old
Colony Club of New York.
Mr. Dolge married Betty Lloyd, and
they are the parents of a son, Lloyd
Dolge.
DOLGE, Arthur H.,
Manufacturer.
Arthur H. Dolge, youngest son of Carl
Bruno and Henrietta (Slister) Dolge (q.
v.), was born in Dolgeville, New York,
May 13, 1882, and was educated there in
the public schools. His education was
completed at the Norwalk University, and
soon after this time Mr. Dolge became
associated with his father in business.
After he had learned the details, he was
made vice-president of the company, and
after his father's death, he succeeded his
brother as treasurer. Mr. Dolge now
holds both these offices and is capably
carrying on the responsibilities which
have come to him. He enters ac-
tively into the social and business life
of Westport, and is highly esteemed
among his fellow-citizens. He is a mem-
ber of the Westport Country Club; the
Westport Club, and the Old Colony Club
of New York.
119
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Mr. Dolge married Josephine Reeves,
daughter of George H. Reeves, of Brook-
lyn, New York.
COMSTOCK, Samuel,
Retired Farmer.
In Devonshire, England, there is a lit-
tle village called Culmstock, with a few
hundred people living there. It is situ-
ated on a small stream, called the River
Culm, from which it derives its name.
Residents in and near this village were
wont to retain the name as a surname, and
the immigrants coming to this country
brought it with them. It is today one of
the oldest and most respected names of
early Colonial families. Members bear-
ing the name are found in the business
and professional world in large numbers.
The family of which Samuel Comstock,
one of the leading citizens of South Nor-
walk, is a member, descends from one of
the first Colonial settlers.
In 1650 Christopher Comstock came to
Fairfield, Connecticut, and in 1661 he was
in Norwalk. He is believed to have been
a son of William Comstock, who was
early in Massachusetts. Christopher
Comstock served as a deputy, and mar-
ried, October 6, 1663, Hannah Piatt, of
Milford. She was baptized October 6,
1643. Christopher Comstock died De-
cember 28, 1702.
Moses Comstock, son of Christopher
and Hannah (Piatt) Comstock, was born
May 4, 1685, in Norwalk, and died there,
January 18, 1766. He married, February
23, 1709-10, Abigail Brinsmade, of Hart-
ford, and they were the parents of Abijah
Comstock, of whom further.
Abijah Comstock, son of Moses and
Abigail (Brinsmade) Comstock, was born
in Norwalk, November 19, 1721, and died
in New Canaan, June 22, 1807. He mar-
ried Deborah Benedict, of Norwalk, May
30, 1745-
Samuel Comstock, son of Abijah and
Deborah (Benedict) Comstock, was born
in Norwalk, July II, 1767, and died in
New Canaan, November 9, 1819. He
married, December 6, 1793, Catherine
Clock, of Darien. She was born Novem-
ber 18, 1769, and died March 20, 1839,
daughter of Jonathan Clock. Samuel
Comstock was a farmer in New Canaan,
and the farm which he owned is now
owned by his grandson ; it has been con-
tinuously in the family. Samuel Com-
stock was commissioned ensign and rose
through the ranks to major, receiving his
commission from Governor Trumbull.
Samuel (2) Comstock, son of Samuel
(1) and Catherine (Clock) Comstock, was
born in New Canaan, July 4, 1802, and
died there March 11, 1871. He
married, October 3, 1837, his cousin,
Sarah Comstock, born in 1812, died
February 7, 1901 ; she was a daughter
of David Comstock, of Norwalk. Sam-
uel (2) Comstock was raised on his
father's farm, and engaged in farming all
his life. In his younger days he was a
Whig and in later life an Independent in
politics ; he held various town offices. His
children, only four of whom grew to ma-
turity, were : Sarah ; Ann Eliza ; Joseph-
ine ; Clementine, wife of Dr. J. R. Conklin,
of Omaha, Nebraska; and Samuel (3), of
further mention.
Samuel (3) Comstock, son of Samuel
(2) and Sarah (Comstock) Comstock,
was born November 29, 185 1, and was
brought up on the home farm. In due
course of time he succeeded his father
as owner of the farm, and successfully
operated it for about forty years, when he
retired to enjoy a well-earned rest. Mr.
Comstock has been one of the substan-
tial citizens of Norwalk for many years;
he is the type of man who is an asset to
20
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
any community, a man of honor and in-
tegrity. Since retiring from active duties
Mr. Comstock has spent his winters in
Florida, where he has a winter home.
Mr. Comstock married Florence May
Benedict, daughter of William Henry
Benedict, of Norwalk, and the house in
which they live has been in the Benedict
family for four generations. Mr. and Mrs.
Comstock attend and aid in the support
of the South Norwalk Congregational
Church.
GORHAM, Henry,
Business Man, Public Official.
The memory of those whose lives have
been spent in useful activities, with the
welfare of the community always at heart,
will ever be a favorite topic with the bi-
ographer. Generation after generation
the family spirit lives and thrives through
all the hardships of pioneer existence,
forms and governs new conditions, merg-
ing into that supreme spirit of National
progress and independence which has
made America the foremost Nation of the
world today. Henry Gorham, prominent
in the Stamford of the early part of the
nineteenth century, was a noteworthy
member of one of the oldest of American
Colonial families.
The origin of the name of Gorham
reaches back to ancient English times.
It is one of those names derived from the
location of the home of its first bearer.
It was formed from two words : Gore,
which signifies a three-cornered piece of
land, and ham, signifying an enclosure.
It is thus clear that some early ancestor
of this family built his home close to a
piece of land of this shape, which was
enclosed for the protection of his posses-
sions. From the earliest form of John of
Gore-ham, or John atte-Gore-ham, the
form has gradually changed to its present
form, Gorham. The arms of the Gorham
family are : Gules, three shacklebolts,
conjoined in the fesse point, or.
(I) Captain John Gorham, an early an-
cestor of this family, was born at Bene-
field, Northamptonshire, England ; he was
the son of Ralph Gorham, and the grand-
son of James Gorham. He was born in
1550, and died in 1576. He married, in
1572, Agnes Bernington.
(II) Ralph Gorham, son of Captain
John and Agnes (Bernington) Gorham.
was born in 1575, and died about 1643.
He came to New England with his family,
and was in Plymouth in 1637.
(III) Captain John (2) Gorham, son
of Ralph Gorham, was baptized January
28, 1620. He was a devoted professor of
the Puritan faith. He married, in 1643,
Desire Howland, daughter of John and
Elizabeth (Tilley) Howland, born in
Plymouth, died October 13, 1683. John
Howland was among the passengers of
the "Mayflower," as was also John Til-
ley, grandfather of Desire Howland. In
1646 John Gorham removed from Plym-
outh to Marshfield, and in 1648 he was
chosen constable of the latter town. He
was admitted a freeman, June 4, 1650, and
in 1652 removed to Yarmouth. He be-
came a very prominent man in the little
pioneer community, and owned a grist
mill and a tannery. He was deputy from
Yarmouth to Plymouth Colony, April 6,
1653. He filled the important office of
surveyor of highways in Yarmouth. He
did gallant service in King Philip's War,
in which struggle he lost his life. For his
sendees at this time his family were
awarded one hundred acres of land. He
lived in Barnstable and there made his
home most of his life.
(IV) Shubael Gorham, son of Captain
John (2) and Desire (Howland) Gorham,
was. born October 21, 1667, in Barnstable,
Massachusetts. His parents wished him
121
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
to enter one of the professions, but he was
more interested in the establishment and
development of the Colony. He learned
the carpenter's trade, and had a share in
the actual constructive work of the vi-
cinity. He became a prosperous and well-
to-do business man, keeping a tavern and
owning a number of shares in a fulling
mill. He married, in 1696, Puella Hussey,
of Nantucket, and later they removed to
South Sea. His will was dated Septem-
ber 23, 1748, and proved August 7, 1750.
(V) George Gorham, son of Shubael
and Puella (Hussey) Gorham, was born
in Barnstable, Massachusetts, January 29,
1696 or 1697. In early life he was a sea
captain, but was located in Rye, New
York, in 1727. He still kept an active in-
terest in commerce by water. He had a
flour and grist mill at Rye, and sent his
product to the West Indies in his own
vessels. He was licensed, in 1727, to sail
from New London to the Barbadoes, with
the sloop ''Hannah." Some years after
this he came to Stamford, Connecticut.
He married, in Rye, New York, July 20,
1726, Hannah Banks.
(VI) Daniel Gorham, son of George
and Hannah (Banks) Gorham, was born
in Rye, New York, May 17, 1737. He was
for many years a resident of Darien, Con-
necticut. He was very prosperous, and
became a large land owner. Besides con-
ducting a farm of considerable size, he
was one of the most important millers in
that section. He married Jane Bates,
July 15, 1780.
(VII) Henry Gorham, well remem-
bered by many residents of Fairfield
county, son of Daniel and Jane (Bates)
Gorham, was born in Darien, Connecti-
cut, in the house now occupied by his
daughter, August 28, 1792. This house
was built in 1789, replacing a much older
one. Here his childhood was spent. He
received his elementary education in the
public schools of the town, then later at-
tended a private school. He then taught
school for a time, leaving the impress of
his high ideals and splendid personality
on a group of young people who were
later to bear a part in the development of
this section into what it is today. He
then went to New York City, where he
became a clerk in a wholesale dry goods
house. Later he went into business for
himself as a member of the firm of Gor-
ham & Mott. Various outside influences,
which the young men had the foresight
to analyze, deterred them from attempt-
ing any expansion, and led them at length
to close up the business. Mr. Gorham
determined to do nothing hastily, and
wishing to look about for some promising
opening, went to Ohio, leaving his wife
and two children in the care of his sister.
The section did not particularly appeal
to him, nor did he find his health as good
as in his former home section, thus it
did not require much urging on the part
of his brother to induce him to return
to Darien to engage in the milling busi-
ness. They formed a partnership, pur-
chased the family homestead, and erected
a thoroughly up-to-date flouring mill.
The vast plans of the West were still un-
broken prairie, but the fertile Genesee
Valley, in New York State, was just
reaching the height of its production as
a wheat growing section. As the mills
there handled the grain without the trans-
portation inevitable for the Connecticut
millers, the brothers soon found that it
was not worth while to attempt to com-
pete with the mills which were more ad-
vantageously located. They continued
in the business, however, for Connecticut
farmers then grew a large share of the
grain required by their stock, and the
Gorhamsdid an extensive business, grind-
ing corn, both for culinary purposes and
for feed. Flour they bought and sold. In
122
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
1857 the mill was destroyed by fire. Mr.
Gorham was then quite advanced in
years, and feeling no need nor inclination
to reestablish the business retired to the
comfort and leisure for which his busy
life had left neither time nor opportunity.
He lived but four years to enjoy the quiet
pursuits of his choice, passing away Sep-
tember 21, l86l.
Mr. Gorham married Julia B. Raymond,
daughter of George Raymond, of New
York City. Her mother was Susan
(Parker) Raymond, a Southern lady.
They were the parents of eight children :
Helen, who married John J. Warren, of
Stamford, deceased ; Francis, now de-
ceased, formerly of Brooklyn, and Mount
Vernon, New York; George Raymond,
deceased, formerly of Noroton ; Henry,
deceased, formerly of New York City ;
Joseph, deceased, formerly of Savannah,
Georgia ; James, deceased, formerly of
Brooklyn ; Caroline, of Darien, who lives
at the old homestead, and is a prominent
member of the Stamford Historical So-
ciety ; and Charles Leary, deceased.
Mr. Gorham is remembered in the com-
munity as a man of lovable personality,
and genuine, sterling worth. Of genial
presence, fond of a telling anecdote, full
of the true, deep goodness of heart which
keeps alive the brotherhood of man, and
thus strengthens one's faith in the Fa-
therhood of God, he was a man whose
friendship was valued and whose con-
victions were respected by all who knew
him. He possessed too generous a nature
to amass great wealth. He could always
see the justice and right on the side of
the other man. He was sincerely devoted
to the public welfare, holding a high inter-
pretation of his personal duty as a citizen.
He served as selectman for many years,
and such was his public spirit that he
would never put a price on his services,
and declined more than an honorarium of
ten dollars per year. In the truest sense
of the term he was a public servant, seek-
ing not his own but the public welfare,
and the same spirit of unselfishness was
evident through all his life. He was a
man whose memory lives though the
years have gone by since his passing.
SAXTON, William Henry,
Manufacturer. Banker.
There were many and varied ways of
deriving surnames, yet the two most gen-
erally found are from the location of the
ancestral home, and from occupation of
an early ancestor. Authorities differ re-
garding the origin of the surname Saxton ;
some claim that it is derived from Sax-
town, meaning a town of the Saxons, and
others, that it is derived from the office
of the church, the same as sexton. How-
ever, the name is a very ancient one and
is found on record at an early date in
English history. The family from which
Mr. Saxton descends was early settled
on Long Island, and there his father, Ste-
phen R. Saxton, was born July 30, 1813.
The latter grew to manhood in Long
Island, and soon after attaining his ma-
jority went to New York City, where he
engaged in business. Very early in his
life he proved himself to be possessed of
more than the ordinary business acumen,
and from the outset was very successful
in business. He learned the trade of
cabinet maker, which occupation he fol-
lowed until his marriage. Mr. Saxton
then entered business as a manufacturer
and importer of artificial flowers. The
business was conducted under the name
of S. R. Saxton, and later a nephew of
Mr. Saxton was admitted to partnership,
at which time the name was Saxton &
Vanvelsor. Mr. Saxton was one of the
incorporators and during his life a mem-
ber of the board of directors of the Sau-
123
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
gatuck Bank, which later became the
First National Bank, of Westport, and in
1913 was reorganized as the Westport
Bank and Trust Company. Mr. Saxton
married, in 1841, Samantha Marietta Por-
ter, born August 29, 181 7, in Danbury,
Connecticut, and died in Westport, March
14, 1903, daughter of Menander and
Clarissa (Sanford) Porter. Menander
Porter was born February 17, 1789, and
died October 18, 1838; he married Clarissa'
Sanford, born November 6, 1794. His
father, Philo Porter, was born in August,
1767, and died March 30, 1830. He mar-
ried, in November, 1785, Lois Baldwin,
born in July, 1768. Mr. and Mrs. Saxton
were attendants of the Congregational
church, of Westport.
The only son of Stephen R. and Saman-
tha M. (Porter) Saxton was William
Henry Saxton, born May 1, 1842, in New
York City, and lived there until he was
fourteen years of age. It was at this time
he removed to Saugatuck, Connecticut,
with his family, and there he has resided
practically all his life since, with the ex-
ception of trips abroad. His schooling was
obtained in the Greens Farms Academy,
and subsequently he went to New York
and entered his father's business as a
clerk. He learned the business in detail,
and later was admitted as a partner. For
almost ten years Mr. Saxton was the
firm's representative in Paris, France.
Since 1S87 Mr. Saxton has been connected
with the Westport Bank and Trust Com-
pany, and now serves that institution as
vice-president and director. Mr. Saxton
has a beautiful home in Saugatuck, situ-
ated on the Saugatuck river and com-
manding a wonderful view. He has al-
ways been represented among the promi-
nent citizens there, and is held in high
respect and esteem.
In 1867 Mr. Saxton married Emily F.
Sherwood, daughter of Captain Frederick
and Emily (Banks) Sherwood (see Sher-
wood VIII).
Mr. and Mrs. Saxton were the parents
of four children, only one of whom, An-
gie, Mrs. B. L. Woodworth, is now living.
The others were: Clara H., married Rev.
H. M. Burr; Emily F., died in Paris,
France ; Edward R. The family attend
the Congregational church and Mr. Sax-
ton has been a deacon there for many
years.
(The Sherwood Line).
(I) The Sherwoods are one of the old-
est families in Fairfield county, being de-
scended from Thomas Sherwood, the
immigrant. The latter came from Ips-
wich, England, in the "France," in 1634.
He was born in England about 1586, and
died in 1655 in Fairfield. After coming
to America, Thomas Sherwood lived for
several years in Massachusetts, and
thence removed to Fairfield, Connecticut.
He married (first) Alice Seabrook, born
in 1587, daughter of Robert Seabrook,
and the Christian name of his second wife
was Mary.
(II) Thomas (2) Sherwood, son of the
immigrant, Thomas (1) Sherwood, was
born in 1624, and died in 1698. He was
admitted a freeman in Hartford, Connec-
ticut, October 13, 1664, and was the first
miller in Mill River, Fairfield. He mar-
ried Ann Turney.
(III) Samuel Sherwood, son of Thomas
(2) and Ann (Turney) Sherwood, was
born in June, 1725. He married and was
the father of Daniel, of whom further.
(IV) Daniel Sherwood, son of Samuel
Sherwood, was born in 1708, and died in
1874. During the Revolutionary period,
Daniel Sherwood and his wife, Martha
(Hull) Sherwood, kept a tavern.
( Y) Daniel (2) Sherwood, son of Dan-
iel (1) and Martha (Hull) Sherwood, was
born November 20, 1735, and died in
1819. In 1756 he was graduated from
124
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Yale College. He married Abigail An-
drews, born in 1736, died in 1793, daugh-
ter of Deacon John Andrews.
(VI) Daniel (3) Sherwood, son of
Daniel (2) and Abigail (Andrews) Sher-
wood, was born June 8, 1761, and died
December 19, 1828. He was a farmer in
Greens Farms, part of which estate is
still in possession of the family.
(VII) Frederick Sherwood, son of
Daniel (3) Sherwood, was born Septem-
ber 3, 1810, one of the famous Sherwood
triplets, the other two being named Fran-
cis and Franklin, all sea captains. Sher-
wood's Island is named for this family.
Captain Frederick Sherwood married
Emily Banks.
(VIII) Emily F. Sherwood, daughter
of Captain Frederick and Emily (Banks)
Sherwood, became the wife of William
Henry Saxton (see Saxton).
LELAND, George Benton,
Manufacturing Executive.
The wonders of electrical science have
engaged the brightest minds of recent
years. Their practical application has
revolutionized industry and ended house-
hold drudgery. The story of electricity
is full of fascinating interest, and those
who can tell the most say that the sci-
ence is only in its infancy. George Ben-
ton Leland, of Stamford, Connecticut, is
one of the foremost men of the section
in the electrical world. And noting the
eminently practical line of work in which
he is occupied, it is interesting to follow
back to their American origin the family
lines through which, from one generation
to another, this practical trend of effort
has been an actuating impulse.
The name of Leland, according to the
most generally accepted authorities, is
derived from the place of residence of the
earliest bearers of the name, as lee, leigh,
lea, ley, or lye, all different forms de-
scriptive of such land as we call a pas-
ture. This circumstance would very defi-
nitely indicate that the early bearers of
this name were industrious farmers and
shepherds. The name was used in the
form of Leyland, and many illustrious
men have borne it in England and Amer-
ica. A Leland in England attained the
distinction of serving as chaplain to King
Henry VIII., and was the only person
ever holding the office of "King's An-
tiquary." He was one of the most ac-
complished scholars and voluminous
writers of his own or any other age. The
Lelands of America have had many prom-
inent men among their number, men who
have made their name significant of big
things in development of the National
prosperity. The Leland coat-of-arms is :
Arms — Gules a saltire argent charged with
three palets azure, a chief or.
Crest — A crow rising, transfixed with an arrow.
Motto — Cut dcbeo fidus.
(I) Henry Leland, according to the
most accurate records, was the progenitor
of all the families who bear this name
in America, almost without exception.
He was born in England, about 1625. It
is probable that he came to America in
1652, as the church records of Dorchester,
Massachusetts, show that he united with
the church in that town in 1653. Not long
after, he settled on land where the town
of Sherburne was later located, and here
he resided until his death, April 4, 1680.
Henry Leland made his will, March 27,
1680 (O. S.), and on June 8th following
it was probated. He made a practice of
spelling his name Layland. All records
give every reason for perpetuating his
memory as a man of high character,
meeting danger with invincible courage,
and enduring the inevitable hardships of
pioneer life with patient fortitude, seek-
12 =
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
ing the solace of religious devotion
through all. He married Margaret Bad-
cock, and they were the parents of five
children.
(II) Ebenezer Leland, the fourth child
of Henry and Margaret (Badcock) Le-
land, was born in Old Medfield, Massa-
chusetts, January 25, 1657, and died in
Sherburne, in 1742. He followed farming
during all his life, like the majority of the
colonists. His son Timothy administered
his estate, which amounted to £198 10s.
6d. Administration was granted, October
18, 1742. Ebenezer Leland was married
twice ; the name of his first wife being
Deborah ; and his second wife Mary
Hunt.
(III) Captain James Leland, third son
of Ebenezer and Deborah Leland, was
born in Sherburne, Massachusetts, in
1687, and died in Grafton, in 1768. Be-
sides conducting the farm, he served in
the militia with the rank of captain. In
the commissioner's return of his father's
estate, January 12, 1753, it is recorded
that Captain James Leland received in
the year 1708 £17 10s. His early life
was spent in Sherburne, but in 1723, after
his marriage, he removed with his wife
and little family and settled in Worcester
county, Massachusetts, in a township
then called Hassanamisco, which later be-
came the town of Grafton. He married
Hannah Learned.
(IV) Phineas Leland, son of Captain
James and Hannah (Learned) Leland,
was born in Grafton, Massachusetts, in
1730, and died there in 1773. He settled
near the home of his father, in Grafton,
as did all his brothers and sisters who
lived to maturity, and lived on a farm
which was a part of his father's estate, sit-
uated on the Blackstone river. He mar-
ried (first) Lydia Fletcher, (second)
Sarah Warren.
(V) Caleb Leland, son of Phineas Le-
land, was born in 1765, and died in 1843,
in Baltimore, Vermont. He lived in Graf-
ton, Massachusetts, where he followed
farming until about the year 1800, when
he removed to Chester, Vermont, then
soon afterward to the adjoining town of
Baltimore, where he remained until his
death. He married Lakin Willard.
(VI) Charles Leland, son of Caleb and
Lakin (Willard) Leland, was born in
1806. He was a farmer all his life, highly
respected in the community, and an in-
dustrious and upright man. He served
for many years as justice of the peace. He
lived in Lowell, Vermont, in his younger
days, then later removed to Johnson,
Vermont, when he remained until a few
years before his death. These last years
were spent in Minneapolis, Minnesota,
where he died about 1892. He married
Lucy Perkins.
(VII) Albert A. Leland, son of Charles
and Lucy (Perkins) Leland, was born in
Lowell, Vermont, in January, 1832. He
began life as a farmer, but possessing
much originality and considerable busi-
ness ability, he saw the possibilities in
the marketing of potato starch. He man-
ufactured this product for many years,
beginning in a small way, and developing
the business until in his later years it
attained a substantial volume. He lived
in Johnson, Vermont, during the greater
part of his life. He was a broad-minded
and public-spirited man, always bearing
his share in the affairs of the town, and
held numerous town offices. He was a
Republican by political affiliation, but
held the tenets of the party subservient to
the public good. On account of physical
disability he was not permitted to serve
in the Civil War, although eager to enlist.
He married, April 25, i860, Mary Esther
Benton, born April 2, 1839, daughter of
Reuben C. and Almira (Fletcher) Benton
(see Benton VII). They were the parents
126
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
of eight children, of whom five grew to ma-
turity : Frederic Adams, of Springfield,
Massachusetts, now deceased ; Lucy Lou-
ise, of East Fairfield, Connecticut ; George
Benton, of whom further ; Thomas Henry,
of Waterbury, Vermont; Mary Elmira,
who married Professor Warner J. Morse,
Ph. D., of the University of Maine ; Clar-
ence Albert ; Helen Douglas, born Decem-
ber 4, 1880, died October 12, 1882; Clifford
M., born July 4, 1882, who enlisted in the
Canadian regulars for the war in Europe,
and was killed June 28, 1917. The fam-
ily have always been members of the Con-
gregational church.
(VIII) George Benton Leland, second
son, and third child of Albert A. and Mary
Esther (Benton) Leland, and general
manager of The Stamford Gas and Elec-
tric Company, was born in Johnson, Ver-
mont, December 14, 1870. He received
his education in the public schools of his
native town. He worked on the home
farm in his youth, then went into the shop
in Erving, Massachusetts, where he
gained the experience which was to be-
come the stepping-stone to substantial
success. From there he went to the Con-
necticut Industrial School for Girls, at
Middletown, as chief engineer and elec-
trician. Later he accepted the very im-
portant position of day engineer of the
Middletown Electric Light Company, ris-
ing finally to the position of chief engineer.
He was with this company for something
over seven years ; then an opportunity
presented itself which would appeal to
any live, aggressive man. He became as-
sociated with Sanderson & Porter, and
superintended the erection of their gen-
erating plant in Far Rockaway, Long
Island. For three years he was chief
engineer of this splendidly equipped,
modern plant, then came to Norwich,
Connecticut, where he became superin-
tendent of the Norwich Gas and Electric
Company. The next step was to Stam-
ford, Connecticut, where he accepted a
position similar to that in Norwich. Mr.
Leland has again assumed the head of
the business in which he is interested, and
is now general manager of the Stamford
Gas and Electric Company. He enjoys
the confidence and good will of every
member of the executive and working
forces, and is considered one of the big
men in the world of production in this
section. He is a thoroughgoing business
man, keenly interested in every phase of
the work under his charge, but he is also
a wholesouled man among men, with a
never-failing interest in the welfare of the
men who do this work. This sentiment
was well expressed in "The Story of
Electricity" (p. 276), as follows:
The wholehearted and often disinterested serv-
ice that he has given to his profession has made
his name familiar to the fraternity at large and
in particular to the lighting division of the indus-
try. He has been especially noted for his work
in New England, as well as in Connecticut, having
been zealous in promoting the welfare of The
New England Section of The National Electric
Light Association, in addition to his strictly pro-
fessional duties. He served as a member of the
Executive Committee for several years, and was
president of the section during the year 1919. He
has also been at the head of two of the State
electrical associations.
Mr. Leland is a busy man, taking little
time for recreation, and his hours of lei-
sure are very frequently taken up by
study and research along electrical lines.
He is an associate member of the Amer-
ican Institute of Electrical Engineers.
Mr. Leland married Nellie L. Griswold,
daughter of LeRoy S. Griswold, of Hyde
Park, Massachusetts. Mrs. Leland's par-
ents, in November, 1919, celebrated the
fifty-ninth anniversary of their marriage,
and were felicitated by all their friends
because of the fact that all their children
are living. Mr. and Mrs. Leland are the
127
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
parents of three children : Marian Esther,
born September 16, 1894; Harold M., born
November 28, 1897, died in Far Rocka-
way, August 1, 1901, and buried in John-
son, Vermont ; and Ruth Laura, born
June 23, 1903. The family is prominent
in all movements that make for social and
civic progress.
(The Benton Line).
(I) Andrew Benton, the immigrant
ancestor of this family in America, was
born in England in 1620, and died July
31, 1683, in Hartford, Connecticut. About
1630 he came to New England, it is be-
lieved with the Waterford settlers. He
was a first settler of Milford, Connecticut,
and in 1639 was granted three acres of
land in that township. He removed to
Hartford about 1660. He married (first)
Hannah Stocking, daughter of George
Stocking, a first settler of Hartford ; and
(second) Anne Cole, of Hartford.
(II) Samuel Benton, son of Andrew
and Hannah (Stocking) Benton, was
born in Milford, Connecticut, August 15,
1658, and died in Hartford, April 10, 1746.
He was an original proprietor of the set-
tlement of Harwinton, Connecticut. He
was a prominent man in the community,
a leader in the public interests, and am-
bitious and industrious in his personal
affairs. He was honored with various
public offices, and became a large land
owner. He married Sarah Chatterton,
daughter of William and Mary Chatter-
ton, of New Haven, Connecticut, born
July 19, 1661.
(III) Deacon Jacob Benton, son of
Samuel and Sarah (Chatterton) Benton,
was born September 21, 1698, and bap-
tized the 26th. He died in Harwinton,
November 23, 1761. He also was one of
the first settlers there, and lived there the
greater part of his life. He married Eliz-
abeth Hinsdell, born January 9, 1703,
daughter of Barnabas and Martha
(Smith) Hinsdell.
(IV) Jacob (2) Benton, son of Deacon
Jacob (1) and Elizabeth (Hinsdell) Ben-
ton, was born January 8, 1729, and died
January 13, 1807. Attracted by the pros-
perity of Hartford, then fast becoming an
important trade center, Jacob Benton re-
moved thence, and passed the remainder
of his life in Hartford. He married Han-
nah Slade, who died July 21, 1805.
(V) Samuel Slade Benton, son of Jacob
(2) and Hannah (Slade) Benton, was
born April 22, 1777, and was baptized in
the October following. He died December
15, 1857. The pioneer spirit of his ances-
tors revived in him with renewed
strength, and he sought a home farther
inland, going into Vermont and building
his own log cabin there. This was in
1801. Later he removed to St. Johns-
bury, and owned a farm. In July, 1841,
he sold this farm to the Messrs. Fair-
banks, who built their scale factory on
its site. Samuel Slade Benton married
Esther Prouty, of Charlestown, New
Hampshire, who was born April 23, 1782,
and died March 14, i860.
(VI) Reuben Clark Benton, son of
Samuel Slade and Esther (Prouty) Ben-
ton, and their first child, was born in
Waterford, Vermont, in the log cabin
built by his father. He was reared on the
home farm, where he worked with his
father, living the normal, healthy life of
the farmer boy. He developed a very
strong, sturdy physique, and managed to
acquire a good education, continuing to
go to school when opportunity offered,
until he was well past his majority. He
then took up seriously the study of law,
and was admitted to the bar in 185 1. He
became a man of much more than local
importance. He enjoyed the greatest
confidence of his fellow-townspeople,
which was richly deserved. He filled
128
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
many public offices with honor and dis-
tinction. He served as selectman, justice
of the peace, was representative to the
General Assembly, associate judge of the
Essex County Court, State's attorney,
and was a member of the State Senate in
1856. Late in life he went West, where
he died in Rockford, Illinois, October 1 1,
1857. He married, in Haverhill, New
Hampshire, April 9, 1829, Almira
Fletcher, born October 13, 1801, in Wa-
terford, Vermont, who died August 29,
1873, in Johnson, Vermont, daughter of
Samuel and Mary Ames (Billings)
Fletcher (see Fletcher VII). Mrs. Ben-
ton was a school teacher before her mar-
riage, a woman of brilliant mentality, and
her devoted interest in her husband's
work was most helpful to him in his
career. She was a descendant of the
Fletcher family of Concord, Massachu-
setts.
(VII) Mary Esther Benton, daughter
of Reuben Clark and Almira (Fletcher)
Benton, was born April 2, 1839, *n Water-
ford, Vermont, and died October 8, 1885,
in Johnson, Vermont. She married, April
25, i860, Albert A. Leland (see Leland
VII).
(The Fletcher Line).
(I) Robert Fletcher, the founder of
this branch of the family in America, was
born in England, about 1592. He came
to this country in 1630, and settled in
Concord. He was wealthy and influen-
tial, a man of mental power and com-
manding presence, and held many public
offices.
(II) Francis Fletcher, son of Robert
Fletcher, was born in Concord, in 1636.
He was made freeman in 1677, and ad-
mitted to the church the same year. He
also became a prominent man in the
community, and a large land owner.
He married, August 1, 1656, Elizabeth
Conn— 8— 9 I
Wheeler, daughter of George and Kath-
erine Wheeler, who died June 14, 1704.
(III) Corporal Samuel Fletcher, son of
Francis and Elizabeth (Wheeler) Flet-
cher, was born August 6, 1657. From his
rank it is evident that he served in the
militia. He was also selectman and town
clerk. He died October 23, 1744. He
married, April 15, 1682, Elizabeth ,
and she survived him but three days.
(IV) Timothy Fletcher, son of Cor-
poral Samuel and Elizabeth Fletcher, was
born August 28, 1704, in Concord. He
served in the French and Indian War
with courage and gallantry, and all his
life was a great hunter. His wife's
Christian name was Elizabeth.
(V) James Fletcher, son of Timothy
and Elizabeth Fletcher, was born Sep-
tember 23, 1734. He was a man of great
hardihood, of venturesome spirit, and fond
of travel. In 1755 he was a member of
Captain Osgood's Nova Scotia expedi-
tion.
(VI) Samuel (2) Fletcher, son of
James Fletcher, was born about 1750, in
Chesterfield, New Hampshire, and died
in East Montpelier, Vermont, in 1831.
He made an honorable record in the War
of the Revolution, after which he re-
moved to Waterford, Vermont, and there
he served as constable. He married (sec-
ond) Mrs. Mary Ames Billings.
(VII) Almira Fletcher, daughter of
Samuel (2) and Mary Ames (Billings)
Fletcher, became the wife of Reuben
Clark Benton, the Vermont attorney and
State Senator (see Benton VI).
DUREY, John C,
Lawyer.
Among the younger generation of at-
torneys now practicing at the Fairfield
county bar, the man whose name stands
2Q
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
at the head of this article is an acknowl-
edged leader.
Thomas H. (2) Durey, son of Thomas
H. (1), and father of John C. Durey, was
born November 21, 1838, at Bethersden,
County Kent, England, where his ances-
tors had resided continuously since the
settlement there of John Durey, who
died in 1615, and whose grave in the
family burial ground is still extant.
When four years of age, Thomas H. (2)
Durey came with his widowed mother to
the United States and settled in Saybrook,
Ohio, where other members of the family
had located. After receiving an education
in the public schools, he entered the mer-
cantile business to which he devoted him-
self principally until his death. He was
a chess player of note.
Mr. Durey married Mary Julissa Jenks,
and of the five children born to them four
attained maturity : George, died unmar-
ried ; Ethel, married Frank A. Frisbie, of
Saybrook, and both she and her husband
are now deceased; Thomas H., of Cleve-
land ; and John C, mentioned below. Mr.
Durey was a member of the Protestant
Episcopal church. He died in 1887.
John C. Durey, son of Thomas H. (2)
and Mary Julissa (Jenks) Durey, was
born October 12, 1880, in Saybrook, Ohio,
and received his education in the public
schools of his native place and at the
Geneva Institute. After graduating from
the latter institution, he matriculated at
the Law School of Yale University, from
which he was graduated cum laude in the
year 1906. While at Yale Mr. Durey
served for two years on the editorial board
of the "Yale Law Journal," and was a
member of the fraternities of Corbey
Court, Phi Delta Phi and Chi Tau Kappa.
He was admitted to the Connecticut bar
in 1906.
Mr. Durey began his professional ca-
reer in Stamford, becoming associated
with John E. Keeler, with whom he
afterward entered into partnership under
the firm name of Keeler & Durey. The
partnership was maintained until Mr.
Keeler's elevation to the judiciary. Since
that time Mr. Durey has continued the
practice of the law under his own name,
acquiring a lucrative and constantly in-
creasing clientele, and building up a rep-
utation which rests on the sure basis of
native ability, thorough and comprehen-
sive equipment, and unremitting devotion
to duty.
Mr. Durey is general counsel for the
First-Stamford National Bank, a recent
consolidation of the old First National
and Stamford National banks, and is also
attorney for the Citizens' Savings Bank,
the Stamford Water Company, the West-
ern Connecticut Title and Mortgage Com-
pany, and other important interests. He is
a member of the American Bar Associa-
tion, and of the Character Committee of
the Fairfield County Bar; is a member of
the board of governors of the Suburban
Club ; and belongs to the Woodway
Country Club, the Stamford Y'acht Club,
and the Yale Club of New York. He is
treasurer of the Stamford Day Nursery
and one of its board of trustees. He at-
tends St. John's Protestant Episcopal
Church, and serves as one of its officers.
Mr. Durey's record furnishes conclu-
sive evidence of his wisdom in choosing
to devote himself to the profession of the
law. He has proved that he possesses the
judicial mind and also that he is endowed
with the personal qualities necessary to
insure a successful career at the bar. In
the years to come his name will undoubt-
edly be inscribed with honor in the legal
annals of his countv and State.
RICE, Watson Emmons,
Physician, Legislator.
For many generations descendants of
the Rice family have been prominent in
13c
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
the annals of New England. Members of
this family have been found in the pro-
fessions of medicine and the ministry in
practically every generation. They have
been distinguished for their earnest adher-
ence to high ideals and their advocacy of
all that makes for good citizenship. More
than a quarter of a century ago, Dr. Wat-
son E. Rice, a worthy representative of
this ancient family, settled in Stamford,
where he has since engaged in practice
as a physician. During the intervening
years Dr. Rice has performed his share
in upholding the honorable record and
prestige of the family name.
As far back as 1073 record of the name
is found, at which time it is spelled Rhys.
It is of Celtic derivation, signifying ar-
dour. This meaning illustrates an ancient
custom of deriving surnames from some
personal quality or appearance. The lo-
cation of the ancestral homes, as well as
personal occupation, also served to desig-
nate individuals at an early period.
(I) Edmund Rice, ancestor, born about
1594, came from Barkhamstead, Hertford
county, England, and settled in Sudbury,
Massachusetts, in 1638-39. He shared in
the three divisions of land in 1639. He
was a well known, influential citizen of
Sudbury, and served as proprietor and
selectman. His wife, Tamazine, died in
Sudbury, June 13, 1654; he died at Marl-
boro, May 3, 1663, and was buried at
Sudbury. They were the parents of a
son, Henry, of whom further.
(II) Henry Rice, son of Edmund and
Tamazine Rice, was born about 1617. He
was admitted a freeman in 1658, and mar-
ried, February 1, 1643, Elizabeth Moore,
who died August 3, 1705. He died at
Framingham, February 10, 1710-11. They
were the parents of David, of whom fur-
ther.
(III) David Rice, second son of Henry
and Elizabeth (Moore) Rice, was born
December 27, 1659, and died October 16,
1723. He was a founder and deacon of
the Framingham Church in 1701. He
married, April 7, 1687, Hannah Walker,
of Sudbury, born in 1669, died December
18, 1704, daughter of Thomas and Mary
Walker, of Sudbury and Framingham.
They were the parents of Bezaleel, of
whom further.
(IV) Bezaleel Rice, son of David and
Hannah (Walker) Rice, was in the serv-
ice of Clark's Company from Framingham
in 1725. He was a physician, and also
served as selectman in 1742. He mar-
ried, June 23, 1720, Sarah Buckminster,
of Framingham.
(V) David Rice, second son of Beza-
leel and Sarah (Buckminster) Rice, was
born September 17, 1723, died in March,
1802, at Framingham. He married, Sep-
tember 27, 1750, Hannah Winch, who died
in January, 1816. Their eighth child was
Dr. Nathan Rice, of whom further.
(VI) Dr. Nathan Rice, son of David
and Hannah (Winch) Rice, was baptized
April 9, 1769, and died February 23, 1814.
He was a physician, and settled at Way-
land. He married, September 29, 1796,
Polly Eaton, born May 8, 1778, died July
19, 1818, daughter of Benjamin and Mary
(Stacey) Eaton, of Framingham, a de-
scendant of Jonas Eaton, early in Read-
ing, Massachusetts. Their children were:
Calvin, Marshall, Mary, Gardner, of
whom further ; and Nathan.
(VII) Rev. Gardner Rice, third son of
Dr. Nathan and Polly (Eaton) Rice, was
born December 13, 1805. He was gradu-
ated from Wesleyan University, at Mid-
dletown, Connecticut, in the early thirties,
and was ordained to the ministry of the
Methodist Episcopal church. He never
accepted a settled pastorate, feeling that
his gift was that of a teacher, but dur-
ing hit, long and active career he con-
stantly sought out small churches in rural
131
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
communities that were unable to main-
tain settled pastors, a service in the doing
of which he must find his reward, and he
had the gratification of seeing a number of
well established churches develop from
his missionary efforts. Mr. Rice estab-
lished and conducted academies in the
towns of Holliston, Salem and Shrews-
bury, Massachusetts. What he sought to
do, what alone satisfied him, was not
merely to increase a young man's store
of information, but to develop his char-
acter and make a Christian man of him,
to teach him how the learning he gained
might be used in the work of life, and
that it was of small value unless it were
so used. He taught the lesson and im-
portance of life ; he made his students
grasp the significance of existence, the
responsibility that rested upon them, the
duty and the glory of doing their part
to help and benefit the generation in
which they lived, and the failure and ig-
nominy of leading listless, heedless, un-
important lives. As a result of his pre-
cepts, supported by an unusually con-
sistent Christian example, he had the
satisfaction of seeing nearly all his pupils
converted. Who can tell the far-reaching
effects of such a devoted man? His in-
fluence will go on and on in ever widening
circles to bless generations yet to come.
Mr. Rice married, May 25, 1835, Sarah
Morse, born September 2, 1809, in Leo-
minister, Massachusetts, daughter of Jo-
seph and Sukey (Dirroll) Morse, de-
scendant of Anthony Morse, settler at
Newbury, Massachusetts. They were the
parents of nine children: 1. Milton G.,
born August 17, 1836, died July 17, 1842.
2. Emery H., born May 3, 1838. 3. Mar-
shall N., born May 9, 1840. 4. Wilbur H.,
born January 10, 1842. 5. Sarah E., died
young. 6. Watson E., of further men-
tion. 7. Milman B., died young. 8.
Wilmot B., born November 8, 1850. 9.
Virgil, born August 23, 1854.
(VIII) Watson Emmons Rice, son of
Rev. Gardner and Sarah (Morse) Rice,
was born December 15, 1848, at Shrews-
bury, Massachusetts. His education was
mainly obtained under the able precep-
torship of his father, and his youth was
spent in the various towns where the Rev.
Gardner Rice conducted his schools. Sub-
sequently, Dr. Rice prepared himself for
teaching and for six years followed this
calling in his native State, and also in
Parkersburg, West Virginia. While a
resident of the latter town he became in-
terested in the medical profession, and
under Dr. William Gilman he studied and
prepared to enter the University of Mich-
igan, at Ann Arbor. He graduated in
1872, and part of the same year practiced
in Plymouth, Michigan. Returning East
he located at North Grafton, where for
twenty years he was one of the leading
physicians and among the highly re-
spected citizens of the place. The West
again called him and he spent the winter
of 1891-92 in Seattle, Washington. In
the spring of 1892 he came to Stamford,
Connecticut, where he has remained to
the present time.
Dr. Rice has won many friends for him-
self, and he possesses the art of keeping
a friend, which is better still. He has
always been of a modest, retiring nature,
and does not seek public attention of any
kind, although in 1898 he represented
Stamford in the General Assembly, and
was reelected for a second term of two
years. He served on Humane Institu-
tions and Public Lands committees.
While in the Legislature, Dr. Rice tried
to arouse interest in a project to estab-
lish a State farm where inebriates and
other ne'er-do-wells might be sent in hope
of making men of them. He recognized
132
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
that more evil than good comes from late Husted W. Hoyt on his death. Since
sending such individuals to the usual
penal institutions. His plan was to in-
crease the length of the sentence on each
recurring commitment so that incurables
would ultimately be kept on the farm
under healthful conditions and helpful
environment. Dr. Rice's idea was too
advanced for the time, but he has had
the pleasure since then of seeing the plan
partially put into operation. Dr. Rice has
ever been interested in educational mat-
ters, and has served twenty-four years as
a member of the School Board, having
been its chairman for fourteen years. A
new school, containing twenty-four
rooms, in Stamford, has recently been
named in his honor, the Rice School. He
is on the staff of the Stamford Hospital,
and visiting physician of the Children's
Home.
Fraternally he is a member of Union
Lodge, No. 5, Free and Accepted Masons ;
Rittenhouse Chapter, Royal Arch Ma-
sons, of Stamford ; Hiram Council and
Worcester County Council of Worcester ;
Rose Croix, of Worcester; Pyramid
Shrine, at Bridgeport.
McNALL, George Gordon,
Lawyer, Man of Affairs.
, George Gordon McNall was born in
Utica, Oneida county, New York, June 2,
1857, the son of John Alexander and Mary
(Tilden) McNall. He removed to Green-
wich in boyhood, was educated in the
local schools, became a clerk in the town
clerk's office, and was elected town clerk
when twenty-one years of age. He stud-
ied law under the preceptorship of Myron
L. Mason, was admitted to the bar in
1883, and subsequently elected judge of
probate. On the establishment of the
Borough Court in Greenwich, he was
appointed deputy judge and succeeded the
his retirement from that office he has de-
voted his time entirely to the practice of
his profession. He is connected with
many of the industrial enterprises in his
town, and is a director of and attorney
for the Greenwich National Bank and the
Maher Brothers' Corporation. In religion
he is a member of Christ Episcopal
Church. He is prominent in Masonic
circles in Connecticut, having been elected
grand master in 1899.
On April 24, 1899, Mr. McNall married
Mrs. Emma F. McNall.
PENFIELD, William W., Laveme H.,
Manufacturers.
The first of the name of Penfield in
Connecticut was William Penfield, who
was early settled in Middletown, in 1663.
Since that time there have been many
bearing the name throughout the State
engaged in the professional, the public
and business life of their respective
communities. They have been among
the useful and upright citizens, and prom-
inent among them are William W. Pen-
field and his son, Laverne H. Penfield,
manufacturers of Stamford.
The family from which they are de-
scended was long settled in New Haven,
Connecticut, and it was there that the
great-grandfather of Laverne H. Penfield,
William Barnes Penfield, lived. The lat-
ter was a sea captain, and the Christian
name of his wife was Elvira.
William Barnes Penfield, grandfather
of Laverne H. Penfield, was born in
New Haven, and died March 17, 1914,
aged seventy-four years. He was edu-
cated in the public schools, and at an early
age went to sea, making voyages to for-
eign ports, especially the West Indies.
After a few years he gave up the sea and
took up cabinet-making in Fair Haven,
133
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
in the plant of the Fair Haven Extension
Table Company. Mr. Penfield was with
them a good many years, until the busi-
ness was abandoned, when he entered the
employ of the New York, New Haven &
Hartford Railroad Company in its repair
shop, and was with them as long as he
lived. Mr. Penfield was a member of the
old Volunteer Fire Department, No. 6,
and when the permanent department was
organized in Fair Haven, he became a
call man for a short time. He married
Josephine Davis, daughter of Captain
John Davis, of New Haven; they were
members of St. James' Episcopal Church,
of Fair Haven. Of their two children,
William W. was the one who grew to
maturity.
William W. Penfield, son of William
Barnes and Josephine (Davis) Penfield,
was born in New Haven, Connecticut,
July 20, 1861, and was educated in the
public schools there. He learned the
trade of tool-maker and machinist, and
has worked in various shops in New
Haven, Waterbury and New Britain, get-
ting valuable experience which has been
of untold value to him in later years.
For seventeen years he was with the
Traut & Hine Manufacturing Company
of New Britain, much of this time hold-
ing a position as foreman. In 1916 Mr.
Penfield engaged in business on his own
account in Stamford, and on August 1,
1918, the business was incorporated under
the name of William W. Penfield, Inc.,
with W. W. Penfield as president and
treasurer, and L. H. Penfield as vice-
president. The product of manufacture is
snap fasteners for silk gloves and other
brass novelties, and this is sold direct to
glove manufacturers and manufacturers
of other lines into whose products the
various things made by the Penfield plant
enter.
Mr. Penfield is a member of Harmony
Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons ;
Washington Commandery, Knights Tem-
plar, of Hartford ; Sphinx Temple, of
Hartford, and Connecticut Consistory, of
Norwich.
Mr. Penfield married Sarah Elliott,
daughter of James Elliott, and they were
the parents of two sons : Leroy, now de-
ceased, left one child, Barbara Elliott
Penfield ; Laverne H., of further mention.
Mr. and Mrs. Penfield are regular at-
tendants of St. Mark's Episcopal Church
of New Britain.
Laverne Howard Penfield, son of Wil-
liam W. and Sarah (Elliott) Penfield, was
born in Waterbury, December 25, 1891,
and was educated in the schools of that
city and in New Britain. After attending
the high school, he worked under his
father in the plant of the Traut & Hine
Manufacturing Company, in New Britain,
and since that time has been associated
with him. On April 15, 1918, Mr. Pen-
field entered the Franklin Union Train-
ing School in Boston and pursued a course
in aeroplane and tractor mechanics. The
following July he left there and went to
Camp Jackson, South Carolina, where
after two weeks he sailed for France.
After arriving in France he joined the
32nd Division, 121st Field Artillery Head-
quarters Company, remaining with them
until the armistice was signed. Subse-
quently, Mr. Penfield was transferred to
the Central Records Office of Bruges,
Belgium, as a courier between that point
and London. Each trip he spent three
days in traveling and three days in Lon-
don, thus giving him an opportunity to
see the English metropolis. Mr. Penfield
has many unusual and interesting inci-
dents to tell of his days as courier and of
the many interesting sights he saw be-
tween posts. On July 4, 1919, he sailed
from Brest for the United States, and was
discharged from Camp Mills on the 24th
134
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
of the same month. After his discharge
Mr. Penfield returned to Stamford and
took up his duties as vice-president of the
Traut & Hine Manufacturing Company,
and since that time has been actively en-
gaged in looking after his business in-
terests.
His fraternal affiliations are with the
Masonic order, and he is a member of
Union Lodge, No. 5, Free and Accepted
Masons, and of the American Legion.
FROST, General Russell,
Lawyer, Active in World War.
For many centuries back in English
history there is found mention of the
Frost family. There was a Henry Frost
of Cambridge, who founded the hospital
of the Brothers of St. John in 1135, out
of which grew St. John's College, Univer-
sity of Cambridge.
(I) The ancestor of General Russell
Frost's branch of the family, Edmund
Frost, was born in Hartest, County Suf-
folk, England, about 1600, a son of Rev.
John Frost, a non-conformist minister.
On October 16, 1634, Edmund Frost with
his wife Thomasine, and infant son John,
sailed for America on the "Great Hope,"
which was shipwrecked off Great Yar-
mouth, England. Fortunately, all the pas-
sengers were saved. Again they sailed,
August 10, 1635, on the ship "Defense,"
arriving the following October at Boston.
Edmund Frost settled at Cambridge,
where he was stationed a freeman, and
died July 17, 1672. His will is on record
there. In Cambridge, Edmund Frost was
a ruling elder of Rev. Thomas Shepard's
church.
(II) Thomas Frost, eighth son of Ed-
mund and Thomasine Frost, was born in
Cambridge, about 1647. He served as a
private from Cambridge with Captain Jo-
seph Sill's company of militia, in King
Philip's War. In 1685 he was a towns-
man of Sudbury; in 1700 was constable;
and in 1712, tithing man. Thomas Frost
was one of the eighteen original members
of the First Congregational Church. He
married, November 12, 1678, Widow
Mary (Gibbs) Goodridge, daughter of
Matthew Gibbs.
(III) Samuel Frost, son of Thomas
and Mary (Gibbs-Goodridge) Frost, was
born November 23, 1686, in Sudbury, and
died at Framingham, August 2, 1736. He
was a farmer, a member of the Framing-
ham Church, and an elder in that insti-
tution. He married, February 1, 1710,
Elizabeth Rice, a descendant of Edmund
Rice.
(IV) Amasa Frost, son of Samuel and
Elizabeth (Rice) Frost, was born Janu-
ary 24, 1717, in Framingham, Massachu-
setts. He served in Colonel Joseph
Buckmaster's company of militia from
Framingham, April 26, 1757, in the
French and Indian War. He was an early
settler of Williamsburg, Massachusetts,
where he lived, and was a deacon in the
church at its organization in 1771. He
died there, January 6, 1795. He married
Abigail Livermore, of Framingham, a de-
scendant of Joseph Livermore.
(V) Deacon John Frost, son of Amasa
and Abigail (Livermore) Frost, was born
December 22, 1759, in Framingham, and
in 1765 removed to Hatfield, Massachu-
setts. He enlisted there in the Revolu-
tion before sixteen years of age, and
served from October, 1775, to July, 1778.
He removed in 1823 to Western New
York, first locating at Knowlesville, and
later in Evans, Erie county, New York,
where he died October 16, 1853, m his
ninety-fourth year. He married, April 12,
1781, at Williamsburg, Massachusetts,
Amy Tenant, born February 22, 1761, died
in 1816, at Sandgate, Vermont.
(VI) Russell Frost, son of Deacon
135
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
John and Amy (Tenant) Frost, was born
in Williamsburg, Massachusetts, Febru-
ary 7, 1787, and died November 8, 1865.
He went to New Hartford, Oneida
county, New York, then removed to
Skaneateles, New York, and bought a
farm. He built a home on the western
shores of Skaneateles Lake. Russell
Frost was a member of the Society of
Friends. He married, May II, 181 1, at
Sullivan, Madison county, New York,
Louisa Allen, born August 16, 1789, died
September 6, 1871, daughter of Caleb
Allen ; they celebrated their golden wed-
ding in 1861.
(VII) Caleb Allen Frost, son of Rus-
sell and Louisa (Allen) Frost, was born
September 12, 1814, in New Hartford,
New York, and died in Delhi, New York,
December 30, 1892, in his seventy-ninth
year. He was educated in the public
schools of Central New York, and in early
manhood became a cloth manufacturer.
He was the owner of a woolen mill in
Delhi, New York, and later a hardware
merchant in the same town. About ten
years before his death he retired from
active business. Mr. Frost was a Greeley
Republican, and held various town and
county offices. While his religious scru-
ples would not let him fight in the Civil
War, he was active in organizing com-
panies, and went to the front with them,
performing valuable non-combatant serv-
ice. Mr. Frost married Mary Griswold,
born February 16, 1824, died December
n, 1910, daughter of Horace and Mary
(Eells) Griswold, and granddaughter of
Joshua Griswold. Horace Griswold was
a descendant of the old Griswold family
of Connecticut, and among his ancestors
were the Colonial governors, Edward and
Matthew Griswold.
(VIII) General Russell Frost, son of
Caleb A. and Mary (Griswold) Frost, was
born February 18, 1850, in Delhi, New
York. At fifteen years of age he left
school and entered the employ of the
Delaware National Bank of Delhi ; at
eighteen he was acting cashier of that
bank, then for a year he was associated
with his father in the hardware business.
The desire for a college education was so
strong, however, that he entered Dela-
ware Academy of Delhi, where he pre-
pared for college entrance. He was
graduated from Yale College in the class
of 1877 with high honors, and having
pursued his law studies in Delhi, was ad-
mitted to practice in New York, in 1879.
He was assistant to the district attorney
of Delaware county for two years, and
after three years' practice in Delhi was
appointed by the Federal government a
pension inspector, assigned to duty as an
assistant to the United States district at-
torneys in cities in Ohio, Kentucky, In-
diana, and other States, in the prosecu-
tion of forgery, perjury and frauds in
connection with pension cases.
In November, 1885, he resigned from
the government service and began the
practice of law in South Norwalk, Con-
necticut. His practice became active in
litigated cases ; he was a forceful trier of
causes before the jury, conspicuous as a
skillful and resourceful cross-examiner of
witnesses, and an eloquent advocate. He
specialized in electric and street railway
law and practice ; he was active in secur-
ing charters for new roads and the exten-
sion and operation of lines from Norwalk
into and through adjoining towns in the
western part of Fairfield county. He was
a leader in the establishment of the Town
Court of Norwalk, and the first judge by
unanimous choice of the General Assem-
bly of that court, holding the office for six
years and until his professional practice
compelled his retirement.
In 1897 he was chosen as representative
of Norwalk in the General Assembly,
136
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
where he served as chairman of the Com-
mittee on Cities and Boroughs. He was
a successful leader in many contests aris-
ing out of reports from this committee.
He acquired recognition as a promoter of
good legislation and a fair and effective
debater. He rendered conspicuous serv-
ice in doing away with numerous State
commissions doing perfunctory work, or
whose duties were overlapping or cross-
ing each other. As a result of his efforts,
commissions were consolidated under
unified heads, making for efficiency and
economy in the administration of the busi-
ness of the State.
Immediately on coming to Norwalk, he
became identified with military activities.
He served for six years as captain of
Company D, 4th Infantry, Connecticut
National Guard. From that rank he was
elected by the officers of that regiment as
colonel, and continued in that command
until January 5, 1897, when he was pro-
moted by the governor of the State as
brigadier-general, commanding the mili-
tary forces of the State. In 1904 he was
selected by the War Department of
Washington to command a brigade in
General Frederick D. Grant's Division in
joint military maneuvers by regular and
State troops at Manassas and Bull Run,
Virginia. He was the only National
Guard officer to be chosen by the Secre-
tary of War for that high command. In
his brigade were regular army troops, as
well as those from several Northern and
Southern States. After eleven years'
service as brigade commander, and twen-
ty-one years of continuous military serv-
ice, he retired in December, 1907.
After five years as vice-president of the
First National Bank of South Norwalk,
General Frost became president of that
bank in 1895 and held that office for seven
years.
General Frost was made a Mason in
Delhi, New York, in 1881, and is still a
member of Delhi Lodge. He is a member
of the South Norwalk Lodge, Benevolent
and Protective Order of Elks ; belongs to
the Sons of the American Revolution ; and
is one of the council of the Connecticut
Society of Colonial Wars. He is a mem-
ber of the Delta Kappa Epsilon Society
at Yale, of the University Club of New
York City, the Yale Club of that city,
and a former member of the Army and
Navy Club of New York. General Frost
is a trustee of the Norwalk Hospital As-
sociation. He belongs to the Congrega-
tional church of South Norwalk.
In the Spanish-American War, Connec-
ticut's quota was less than a brigade, and
General Frost was not therefore eligible
for service in his rank, but he was active
in the preparation of the organizations
which went into that service. He is an
honorary member of McKinley Camp,
Spanish War Veterans of Norwalk.
Although disqualified by the age limit
for active service in the World War, Gen-
eral Frost was actively engaged in the
promotion of enlistments and forming
organizations for service. He was chair-
man of the Mayor's Committee of Safety
appointed to preserve order and guard
against attempted injury to property or
person by sympathizers with the enemy ;
he cooperated in this work with the
United States Secret Service. He was
head of the Military Department of the
Fairfield County Mobilization of Re-
sources Association, and traveled over the
State in the interest of that work. He
was chairman of the Norwalk War Bu-
reau, cooperating with the State and
National Councils of Defense. He was
chairman of the United War Work cam-
paign for the maintenance of the seven
relief and welfare organizations serving
American soldiers overseas and in camps
and cantonments on this side. In Lib-
137
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
erty Loan drives, and other war and relief
activities, General Frost was a constant
and reliable worker, and in continuous
demand as a "four-minute" speaker. In
promoting the local organization of the
American Legion he was active. He is
an honorary member of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars ; is a supporter of the work
of the Salvation Army ; and for five years
was chairman of the Norwalk Council,
Boy Scouts of America. He was the
chairman and organizer of the noted
welcome-home celebration given at Nor-
walk to the soldiers, sailors and marines
returning from the World War.
General Frost has active business in-
terests in New York City, where he is
a director in several financial and com-
mercial corporations, and is a member of
the Chamber of Commerce of the State
of New York.
On May 27, 1885, General Frost was
married to Augusta Ayres Ely, daughter
of Hon. Dudley P. and Charlotte (Phelps)
Ely, of South Norwalk. Hon. Dudley P.
Ely was a prominent banker, with busi-
ness interests in New York. He was the
first mayor of the city of South Norwalk,
and its leading citizen. The Ely family
and the Phelps family in the maternal
line of Mrs. Frost are among the oldest
in Colonial history. General and Mrs.
Frost were the parents of Russell Frost,
3rd, of whom further.
(IX) Russell Frost, 3rd, son of Gen-
eral Russell and Augusta A. (Ely) Frost,
was born July 6, 1890. He was graduated
from Yale University in June, 1914, with
the degree of A. B., and is engaged in
business in New York City. He married
Mary Burnell, of South Norwalk, daugh-
ter of Dr. J. J. Burnell, February 14, 1917,
and they are the parents of two children :
Mary Augusta, born November 5, 1917;
and Russell Frost, 4th, born March 25,
192 1.
RUNGEE, William Charles,
Lawyer, Public Official.
A leading member of the Fairfield
county bar and prominent among the
legal fraternity of Greenwich, Connecti-
cut, William Charles Rungee holds a
place of well deserved esteem. He was
born in New Britain, Connecticut, Janu-
ary 17, 1874, son of Henry John and Paul-
ine F. (Liefield) Rungee, and grandson
of John Henry Rungee, a lumber mer-
chant. John Henry Rungee was the fa-
ther of one son, of further mention ; and
two daughters.
Henry John Rungee, son of John Henry
Rungee, was born September 22, 1840,
and went to England with his parents.
They remained in that country, but when
Henry John was about twenty years old,
he came to America. Previous to this
time he had been serving an apprentice-
ship at the wood-turning trade and this
occupation was the one he followed after
his arrival in America. At first he lo-
cated at Elizabeth, New Jersey, thence
removing to New Haven, Connecticut.
In the latter city he was employed by the
Hooker Company, an old established car-
riage manufactory, and also by the New
Haven Wheel Company. Another old
firm in New Haven was the Bradley Com-
pany, and Mr. Rungee was in charge of
their woodworking department for many
years. After leaving this firm he estab-
lished his own business in New Haven,
Connecticut, and was very successful until
his death, which occurred May 15, 1896.
Mr. Rungee married, November 2, 1871,
Pauline F. Liefield, daughter of Charles
Augustus Liefield, who in 1854 located
in New Haven. At this time his daugh-
ter, Pauline F., was one and one-half
years old ; she was born May 14, 1852.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Rungee
were : Augustus Henry ; William Charles,
138
n
cU£<xs<ui
*/-«&
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
of further mention ; Elizabeth N. ; Julia
Marie (Yale University, 1904, women's
department), married Professor Charles
P. Sherman, Yale, 1896, a member of the
Yale faculty ; Edward John, graduated
Ph. B. in 1900 from Yale University, and
is now a resident of San Diego, Califor-
nia ; Benjamin Frederick, Yale Univer-
sity, 1904, men's department ; Lillian A.,
married Charles J. Schliff, of Waterbury;
Harry Albert, graduated B. A. from Yale
University in 1912, and is now engaged
in teaching in Kansas City, Missouri ; and
Clarence Raymond, ex-1909, Yale Uni-
versity. The Rungee family were mem-
bers of the Baptist church in New Haven,
which was founded by the Grandfather
Liefield.
William Charles Rungee, son of Henry
John and Pauline F. (Liefield) Rungee,
received his education at the Sargent
School in New Haven. For four years,
from 1891 to 1895, he was assistant at the
Yale Library, and during this time con-
tinued his studies under private tutors.
In 1895 he went to Hartford, Connecticut,
and entered the employ of the Capewell
Company as an inspector, remaining for
four years. He then entered Yale Law
School, and in 1903 received his degree of
LL. B., being admitted to the bar the
same year. For two years Mr. Rungee
practiced in New Haven, removing in
1905 to Greenwich, Connecticut, where he
was associated for about four years with
the late Hon. Robert J. Walsh, former
secretary of State of Connecticut. Soon
after this time, Mr. Rungee opened an
office of his own and has since been alone
in practice.
Mr. Rungee has ever been interested in
public matters, and has several times been
honored with public office. He is a Re-
publican, and has represented that party
in the Legislature, in 191 3 serving on the
Judiciary Committee. For two years Mr.
Rungee was assistant prosecuting attor-
ney, and has been a delegate to several
party conventions.
During the World War he was active
in all of the "drives," and was a member
of the Legal Advisory Committee of the
Draft Board. With his family, Mr. Run-
gee attends the Second Congregational
Church, and is superintendent of the Sun-
day school ; he has served as treasurer of
the church, and as clerk of the council.
The fraternal affiliations of Mr. Rungee
are ; Member of Acacia Lodge, Free and
Accepted Masons, of Greenwich ; Hart-
ford Lodge, Independent Order of Odd
Fellows ; and Greenwich Lodge, Benevo-
lent and Protective Order of Elks.
Mr. Rungee married, on September 7,
1908, Adeline Husted, daughter of Mills
Hobby Husted, and they are the parents
of two children : Gladys Muriel and Mar-
ion Carol, twins, born December 18, 1912.
Mrs. Rungee is recording secretary of the
Israel Putnam Chapter, Daughters of the
American Revolution, through Captain
Mead on her mother's side and Mills
Hobby on her father's side.
FINCH, Rev. Wallace H., D. D.,
Clergyman, Author, Lecturer.
Finch is an old New England family
and figures quite prominently in the early
annals of Connecticut and New York
State. Finchville, in Orange county, is
named in honor of John Finch, the first
immigrant in that section, who came from
Horse Neck, Connecticut, and settled in
Goshen, New York, the tradition being
that he was the first adult buried in the
graveyard of Goshen Church. His son,
James Finch, settled in town of Wall-
kill, his farm now being the site of the
village of Middletown. When marching
to the ill-fated field of Minisink during the
Revolution, Colonels Phillips and Wisner
139
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
with their troops were entertained at his
house, and arrangements made for him
to feed the soldiers on their return next
day. But there were few of his friends
and neighbors who returned. He also
served in the army. A branch of the fam-
ily headed by Ebenezer Finch, born in
Stamford, Connecticut, settled in Greene
county, Xew York, in the town of Green-
ville.
The first of the name in America was
Daniel Finch, who came in Governor
YVinthrop's fleet and settled in Water-
town, Massachusetts, where he was made
a freeman, May 18, 1631. He removed to
Wethersfield, Connecticut, where he was
constable in 1636; removed to Stamford,
Connecticut, where he was one of the
original proprietors ; and in 1653 to Fair-
field, Connecticut, where he made a con-
tract marriage, December 25, 1657, with
Elizabeth Thompson, widow of John
Thompson, and died in March, 1667. His
will names a son Nathaniel. Daniel
Finch had a brother, Abraham, who was
killed in open Indian warfare.
(I) The earliest records of this line
that have so far come to light are of Solo-
mon Finch, who passed nearly all of his
life in Ramapo, New York. On Novem-
ber 26, 1782, he purchased land that is
now a part of Tuxedo Park, and the orig-
inal deed, now in Dr. Finch's possession,
is one of those rare documents sealed with
a drop of the grantor's blood. Solomon
Finch enlisted for military service in the
Revolutionary War, but it was held that
his value to the colonies was greater as
an iron worker than as a soldier in the
field, and he was discharged, returning to
his forge. He was a Presbyterian in re-
ligious faith.
(II) Thomas Finch, son of Solomon
Finch, was born in what was then Ra-
mapo, New York. Like his father, he was
an iron worker and resided all his life
within a radius of a few miles from the
iron works. He served in the War of
1812, and his widow drew a pension based
upon this service. He and his wife, Abi-
gail, were members of the Presbyterian
church.
(III) John H. Finch, son of Thomas
and Abigail Finch, was born in 1832. He
learned the trade of iron worker and fol-
lowed that calling throughout his life.
He served in the Union army in the Civil
War, enlisting in Company C, 124th Reg-
iment, New York Volunteer Infantry, and
saw two years, nine months, and twenty-
six days of active service, being wounded
in the battle of Antietam. He was a
member of Suffern (New York) Post of
the Grand Army of the Republic. The
family were Presbyterians in religious
faith, but attended the Methodist Episco-
pal church for convenience. John H.
Finch married Mrs. Catherine Bowen,
daughter of Jacob Wood, of Haverstraw,
New York, and widow of Hiram Bowen,
who was killed in the first attack on
Petersburg. There were two children of
her first marriage : Minnie, who married
William B. Miller, of Toledo. Ohio; and
Georgia, who married Charles Gregory, of
Center Valley, New York. Children of
John H. and Catherine (Wood-Bowen)
Finch: Wallace H., of whom further;
Fannie B., married Alfred J. Lawler, of
Yonkers, New York ; and Cora, who mar-
ried Raymond B. Johnson, of Springfield,
Massachusetts.
(IV) Wallace H. Finch, son of John
H. and Catherine (Wood-Bowen) Finch,
was born June 12, 1874, and when twelve
years of age became employed in the
Ramapo Iron Works, where he remained
until he was nineteen years of age. In
this none too easy school he gained a
knowledge of men and motives of human
nature, that subsequent courses in psy-
chology could scarcely improve upon, an
140
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
experience that has proved of inestimable
value in ministerial work. Always an
omnivorous reader, during his years in the
mill he supplemented his scanty educa-
tion with reading which, while varied in
character, was always of the most sub-
stantial nature. At the age of nineteen
years he entered Claverack Preparatory
School in Columbia, New York, and from
there went to Moody's School in Mount
Hermon, Massachusetts. Three years in
New York University followed, and dur-
ing the last year of this time he also car-
ried his first year's work in Drew Theo-
logical Seminary, Madison, New Jersey,
whence he was graduated with the degree
of Bachelor of Divinity in 1904.
In this same year he was ordained in
New York City into the ministry of the
Methodist Episcopal church and was as-
signed to his first pastorate in Pine Bush,
New Jersey, where he remained for but
a short time. When Dr. William F. An-
derson, the present Bishop, was elected
secretary of the Board of Education of
the Methodist Episcopal church in May,
1904, Rev. Finch was invited to the pulpit
of his church in Ossining, New York, a
charge he held until 191 1. His pastorate
here was most successful and resulted in
substantial church growth along all lines.
At this time Bishop Smith appointed Mr.
Finch district superintendent of the New-
burgh district of the Methodist Episcopal
church, and at the time of his appoint-
ment he was the youngest man appointed
to that important office in the history of
the Conference. Complimentary as the
honor was, the purely administrative
character of the work was not to Dr.
Finch's liking, for his heart is in pastoral
work, so in September, 1912, he was re-
leased at his own urgent request. He
accepted a call to St. Andrew's Methodist
Episcopal Church, New York City, and
in the following year, when that church
was moved in the general forward move-
ment of the denomination in New York,
Dr. Finch came to Stamford, Connecticut,
as pastor of the First Methodist Episco-
pal Church. The church property was
much run down when he came to the
parish, and Dr. Finch made his first ma-
terial work its renovation, which was ac-
complished at an expenditure of $36,000.
The decade of his ministry has been
a most happy and fruitful term of service,
rendered so by the spirit of zealous de-
votion he has brought to his work. Dr.
Finch believes that men should not
choose the ministry in the manner that
other professions are chosen, but rather,
that the minister is chosen by God, that
therefore he has a divine mission in the
world and a commensurate responsibility
that permits of no perfunctory, routine
service. He places Christianity high
above codes of ethics or morals, and a
practical idealism guides him in all his
work. To his pastoral duties he brings an
indefatigable industry and a kindly sym-
pathy that enable him to accomplish a
vast amount of work and to mingle in
mutual benefit with his people. This
communion is enlivened by Dr. Finch's
almost irrepressible sense of humor
which, often finding unconscious expres-
sion, not only lends enjoyment to social
intercourse but is a delightful attribute
to his public speaking.
His gift of oratory is natural, and this,
with his wide reading, has given him emi-
nent qualifications for the lecture plat-
form. Dr. Finch has filled engagements
in many places in Connecticut, Massa-
chusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, and
New Jersey, and among his best known
lectures are those entitled : "Burns, Scot-
land's Chiefest Ornament of Song," "Bed-
ford's Immortal Brazier," "The Magic
141
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Maker," and "Mothers of Men." The first
named seems to have wakened the hearti-
est response from his audiences, although
Dr. Finch does not rate it so highly as
some of his other lectures. In 1904 he
toured the Burns country and added to his
intimate knowledge of the poet's work all
the feeling that can only come from the
local color and atmosphere of the scenes
among which Burns lived and wrote. In
the past, Dr. Finch has done a great deal
of after-dinner speaking, for which he has
been in great demand. Dr. Finch is the
author of "The Plumb Line," and "Help-
ers of Your Joy," published by Eaton &
Main in 1911-12. Dr. Finch has con-
tributed extensively to the religious
press, "The Christian Advocate," of New
York ; "Zions Herald," of Boston ; and the
"Methodist Review," of New York, which
is the oldest review published in the
country.
In 1912 Syracuse University conferred
upon Rev. Finch the degree of Doctor of
Divinity, a distinction unexpected and un-
sought. Dr. Finch is an interested par-
ticipant in public affairs, and has always
borne a full share of the civic burden. He
fraternizes with Radium Lodge, Free and
Accepted Masons, of Ossining, and New-
burgh Lodge, Independent Order of Odd
Fellows. He is also a member of the
Masonic and Clergy clubs, of New York
City. Dr. Finch finds his chief recrea-
tion in hunting and fishing, and the sev-
eral open seasons have generally found
him in the field with rod of gun.
Rev. Dr. Finch married Phebe Secor,
daughter of James and Loretta (Hill)
Secor, of Cornwall, New York. James
Secor was a soldier in the Union army,
enlisting from Haverstraw, New York,
whence he moved to Cornwall. Rev. Dr.
and Mrs. Finch are the parents of Ade-
laide Catherine, born in 1906, and John
Wallace, born in 191 1.
WILLIAMS, Edward Drake,
Manufacturing Chemist.
The name of Williams is of Welsh de-
rivation ; it is derived from the verb,
"gwylio," meaning to watch. The noun
of this verb is "gwylyn," and means a
watcher, a sentinel, and thus it is plainly
seen that the name is derived from a
military occupation. The Williams fam-
ily, of which Edward Drake Williams is
a scion, was early settled in Pomfret,
Connecticut. The great-great-grandfa-
ther of Mr. Williams was John Williams,
of Pomfret. He was the father of David
Williams, whose son, Silas Williams, was
born in Pomfret, February 4, 1750, and
died at Royalton, Vermont, October 20,
1843. He came to Royalton in 1780, and
located a plot of land, where he built a
log house. The following year he re-
moved from Pomfret with his wife and
two children, and became one of the lead-
ing men of Royalton. He was a surveyor,
lister, moderator, and in 1784 was rep-
resentative to the Legislature. Silas
Williams married Mary Flynn, daughter
of Richard Flynn. She was born January
29, 1749, in Pomfret, and died March 13,
1835-
David Williams, son of Silas and Mary
(Flynn) Williams, was born February
3, 1788, and died May 9, 1864, in Royalton.
He was a farmer and a useful citizen of
his community. He married, December
3, 1812, Eunice Crandall, daughter of
Gideon and Esther (Rix) Crandall, born
October 6, 1788, in Royalton, and died
there, March 2, 1871.
Silas R. Williams, son of David and
Eunice (Crandall) Williams, was born
in Royalton, April 14, 1823, and died at
Essex Junction, Vermont, August 24,
1890. He was educated in the district
schools and the Royalton Academy. It
was his ambition to go to college, but
142
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
being the youngest son and the only one
remaining at home, it became necessary
for him to assume the responsibilities of
the home farm. He continued to culti-
vate it until 1872, in which year he re-
moved to Essex Junction and purchased
the restaurant in the station of the Cen-
tral Vermont railroad. It was while Mr.
Williams was in this business that Ed-
ward Phelps missed his train and wrote
the famous poem about Essex Junction.
Subsequently Mr. Williams was ap-
pointed agent at Royalton and went there
to assume the duties of the position, but
died shortly afterwards. During the
Civil War Mr. Williams volunteered his
services, and was appointed sergeant by
Governor Smith. The men on the regis-
tration knew, however, that he was
needed at home and they took advantage
of the excuse that was often used by the
less patriotic, and Mr. Williams' enlist-
ment was refused on the ground that his
teeth were too poor to bite the cartridges.
Mr. Williams married, September 12,
1853, Julia Ann Smith, daughter of Wil-
liam and Sarah (Parkhurst) Smith; she
was a native of Randolph, Vermont. They
were the parents of five children, four of
them growing to maturity : Robert S.,
now a resident of Monte Vista, Colorado ;
Lottie E., deceased, married Frank E.
Bowman, of Winthrop, Massachusetts ;
Clara E., married Homer S. Drury, of
Essex Junction, and is the mother of five
sons ; Edward Drake, of further men-
tion. The Williams family attended the
Congregational church of Essex Junction
for many years, and Mr. Williams served
as deacon and was otherwise active in
church work.
Edward Drake Williams, son of Silas
R. and Julia Ann (Smith) Williams, was
born in Royalton, Vermont, November 13,
1866, and attended the public schools of
Essex Junction, and then was a student
at the Burlington High School. He en-
tered the University of Vermont, and
specialized in the study of chemistry,
graduating in 1888 with the degree of
Ph. B. The year following his graduation
Mr. Williams taught chemistry at his
alma mater, resigning to enter the employ
of the Frederick Crane Chemical Com-
pany, at Short Hills, New Jersey. For
thirty-one years Mr. Williams was con-
tinuously identified with this business,
though the name of the concern was
changed several times, and is now known
as the Celluloid Zapon Company. He
went to work there as a chemist and after
a year was made superintendent, a posi-
tion he has held since that time. Mr.
Williams has seen the industry rise from
comparatively small size until he now has
about eight hundred men under his direc-
tion. He was a director of the company
until the Atlas Powder Company took
over the business.
Fraternally, Mr. Williams is a member
of Union Lodge, No. 5, Free and Accepted
Masons, of Stamford ; Rittenhouse Chap-
ter, Royal Arch Masons ; Washington
Council, Royal and Select Masters ; Clin-
ton Commandery, Knights Templar, of
Norwalk ; Lafayette Consistory, Sublime
Princes of the Royal Secret ; and Pyramid
Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of
the Mystic Shrine, of Bridgeport.
In politics Mr. Williams is a Repub-
lican, and has been an active worker since
coming to Stamford. While a resident of
Short Hills he served as a member of the
Town Council and as town treasurer.
Mr. Williams and his family are mem-
bers of the Presbyterian church, and he
is an elder of the church and superinten-
dent of the Sunday school. Mrs. Wil-
liams is secretary of the Women's Mis-
sionary Society.
Mr. Williams married Lena E. Ferrin,
daughter of Dr. C. M. and Marion E.
143
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
(Benedict) Ferrin, of Essex Junction.
Their children are: i. Marion J., a grad-
uate of the Connecticut Woman's College
at New London ; she is now instructor in
dietetics in the Kansas State College. 2.
Gertrude F.
PALMER, Frank Wyllis,
Enterprising Citizen.
Men of action are the men who make
history. In all ages the world has
watched the man of action, taken notes
of his achievements, and handed them
down from generation to generation in
more or less permanent form. So it is
eminently fitting that these pages should
be covered with records of the achieve-
ments of men of the present day. It is
not only the spectacular that holds mean-
ing for the student of history. The con-
stant, daily upward trend of civic life
and public ethics, and the steady march
of progress, are borne onward and for-
ward by the men who cease not the
wholesome, constructive activities that
build up and sustain the integrity of the
community. Such a man is Frank Wyllis
Palmer, of the Lockwood & Palmer Com-
pany, hardware merchants of Stamford,
Connecticut.
The origin of the name of Palmer is
connected with one of the most interest-
ing epochs in history. Previous to the
eleventh century surnames were not com-
mon, but after the Crusades they began to
be considered of importance, as at the
present time. The name of Palmer is one
of the most ancient of surnames. It was
first a title given to those pilgrims of
the Crusade who returned from the Holy
Land, bearing palm branches in their
hands, and from that custom it followed
that the name was used as a surname.
(I) Henry Palmer, the progenitor of
this family in America, was born, it is
believed, in County Somerset, England,
about 1600. He settled in Watertown,
Massachusetts, before 1636. He removed
to Wethersfield, Connecticut, about 1637,
and the records show that he had a home-
stead there in 1645, tnen later, about 1650,
he lived in Greenwich. He died about
1660, mourned by all the little pioneer
community he had helped to found. He
married twice, the name of his first wife
being Katharine, and the second, Judith,
Children : Deborah, born February 5,
1643 ! Hannah, born August 14, 1645, mar-
ried Isaac Stiles; and Ephriam, of whom
further.
(II) Ephriam Palmer, son of Henry
and Katharine Palmer, was born April
5, 1648, died August 19, 1684. He was
granted, May 23, 1673, ten acres of land
in Greenwich. The same year he was
granted interest in outlands lying between
Mianus and Byram rivers. He married,
in 1668, Sarah , who survived him
and afterwards married Gregory.
Children of Ephriam and Sarah Palmer:
Joanna, born 1669 ; Sarah, born in 1671 ;
Judith, born in 1673, married Samuel Ray-
mond ; Susannah, born in 1675 ; Ephriam,
born October 24, 1677; Mary, born in
1679; John, of whom further.
(III) John Palmer, son of Ephraim and
Sarah Palmer, was born in 1681. He
married (first) Sarah Close, who died
September 1, 1748, aged seventy-four; he
married (second) Mary .
(IV) Messenger Palmer, son of John
and Sarah (Close) Palmer, was born in
1718, and died January 28, 1792. In the
May session of the General Court, in
1762, he was commissioned lieutenant of
the Train Band in Greenwich, and was
commissioned captain in 1764. These
commissions would indicate that he was
a man of great importance in the com-
munity. He became possessed of large
land holdings on the Mianus river, on
144
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
what is now known as Palmer's Hill. He
married (first) Hannah Ferris, daughter
of Joseph Ferris, who died on February
18, 1746. He married (second) Sybil
Wood, daughter of John Wood, of Brook-
haven, Long Island, and she died April
I3. I754- He married (third) in 1755,
Mrs. Esther Palmer.
(V) Jeremiah Palmer, son of Messen-
ger and Sybil (Wood) Palmer, was born
October 17, 1751, and died September 25,
1825. He was a farmer and served as a
soldier in the Revolutionary War. In
1779 he married Mary Ferris, daughter of
James Ferris. She was born on February
27, 1757, and died June 3, 1832.
(VI) James Ferris Palmer, son of Jere-
miah and Mary (Ferris) Palmer, was
born March 3, 1780, and died April 14,
1842. He worked as clerk in a store in
Stamford, and became the proprietor be-
fore his marriage. He carried it on as a
general store, and the post-office was lo-
cated there. After a few years, failing
health compelled him to give up business
life, and he took charge of the farm on
which he had formerly lived. He married
(second) February 15, 1822, Sally B.
Scofield, daughter of Gershom and Lydia
(Bell) Scofield, of Darien. She was born
October 28, 1786, and died on April 3,
1863. Gershom Scofield was a lieutenant
in the Revolution ; he died in 1824, aged
seventy-five years. He always preserved
his powder horn, on which he had carved
while in the service, "Liberty, Property,
and no Tax in America."
(VII) Charles Scofield Palmer, son of
James Ferris and Sally B. (Scofield) Pal-
mer, was born July 30, 1827, and died
March 13, 1904. He received his educa-
tion in the public schools, growing up
among the wholesome and interesting
activities of the farm. He learned the
carpenter's trade, but spent more time on
the farm than in following his trade. He
Conn— 8— 10
was very successful in his chosen line of
work, and his place became one of the
most prosperous and well-kept in the
neighborhood. For about thirty years it
was called Westover Farm, and this name
was gradually applied to the whole local-
ity. The house was built by Jeremiah
Palmer when he was married, and is still
in the family, being now carried on as a
dairy farm by Herbert M. and Harry L.
Palmer. They keep about ten cows, and
with the milk they buy throughout the
neighborhood, handle about one thousand
quarts a day, selling direct to the con-
sumer in Stamford. Charles Scofield
Palmer lived to see his sons take up the
work in which he had felt such pride and
interest, and to see them established in
the confidence and esteem of his lifelong
neighbors. Mr. Palmer married, July 17,
1858, Mary E. Ferris, daughter of Na-
thaniel Ferris, of Stamford. She was
born November 19, 1836, and died June
20, 1909. Of their seven children, six
grew to maturity : Frank W., of further
mention ; Carrie May, born December 16,
1861 ; Wilbor Ray, born December 10,
1863, who died May n, 1910; Herbert
M., born December 16, 1865, on the old
homestead ; Harry L., born June 8, 1868,
who married Caroline E. Fenwick, Octo-
ber 3, 1894; Helen W., born October 22,
1870, who married Robert T. Woodbury,
of Springdale, Connecticut, May 8, 1898 ;
and Ellis F., of Stamford, born September
2, 1875.
(VIII) Frank Wyllis Palmer, vice-pres-
ident and treasurer of the Lockwood &
Palmer Company, of Stamford, was born
in that city, September 16, 1859, and is the
eldest son of Charles Scofield and. Mary E.
(Ferris) Palmer. He was well grounded
in the fundamentals of a practical educa-
tion in the public schools of Stamford,
then went to work in the woolen mills at
Roxbury. He remained there about four
M5
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
years, when he returned to Stamford and
entered the employ of the Yale & Towne
Manufacturing Company. With charac-
teristic energy he took up their work, re-
maining with them for about five years,
and then entered the employ of Henry
Lockwood. This was an entirely different
line of work, but so well did he apply
himself to the mastery of the business and
to the interests of his employer that after
a time he was invited to become a partner
in the business. The partnership was
formed in July, 1897, when Mr. Palmer
had been with Mr. Lockwood for thirteen
years. At that time the firm name be-
came Lockwood & Palmer, but in 1914
the business was incorporated under the
name of the Lockwood & Palmer Com-
pany, with Mr. Lockwood as president.
Always an aggressive and up-to-the-min-
ute business man, gifted with an unusu-
ally broad mental grasp, he put new life
into the business, and the company has
gone forward to splendid success. The
present building covers a floor space of
sixty-six by eighty-five feet. In 1902
three stories were built to give adequate
space for all future development. But
men of this stamp, business houses of this
caliber, are the forces that have made
Stamford one of the banner cities of the
East in growth and development, and
with the growth of the city the business
of the Lockwood & Palmer Company has
grown beyond even the bounds set for it
by the expectations of the members of
the firm themselves. It was necessary to
add two stories more only a few years
later, and the imposing home of the busi-
ness still inadequately suggests the im-
portance of the mercantile interests
housed therein. Finely equipped, the line
carried consists of hardware, house-fur-
nishing goods and agricultural imple-
ments. The increased use of automobiles
and their accessories led the company to
discontinue some time ago the complete
line of carriages, harnesses, etc., which
comprised an important part of their
business formerly. Mr. Palmer has made
for himself a place of dignity and im-
portance in the business life of Stamford.
Personally he is an active, energetic man,
keenly alive to all the interests of the day,
whether or not they bear directly upon
the business in which he is engaged. He
is a man whom it is the pride of Amer-
ican men to call a representative citizen.
The family are members of the Congre-
gational church, of which Mr. Palmer has
served as deacon. For some years he
has been an influential member of the
business committee, where his experience
and natural ability are of inestimable
value to the church organization.
Mr. Palmer married Cordelia M. White-
head, daughter of Martin Whitehead, of
Durham, New York, and they are the
parents of one son, Clarence Wyllis, who
was born March 3, 1896. He was gradu-
ated from King's School, of Stamford, and
was a student at the New York University
when he left to enter the Red Cross Am-
bulance Corps and went to France. He
made a splendid record of devotion to
duty at the front, and attained the rank of
sergeant-major. Since his return home
he has been in the employ of the Lock-
wood & Palmer Company.
KEOGH, John,
Lawyer, Served in World War.
The surname of Keogh in Gaelic is
Eochaidh and means a horseman. It is of
the class of names derived from an occu-
pation, and is among the names found in
Ireland at the close of the sixteenth cen-
tury. The Keogh family, of which John
Keogh, attorney and referee in bankruptcy
of South Norwalk, is a member, was early
settled in the vicinitv of Dublin. Ireland.
146
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
John Keogh, grandfather of John (2)
Keogh, was born in the vicinity of Dub-
lin, Ireland, and grew to manhood. The
Christian name of his wife was Mary, and
they were the parents of Daniel Keogh,
who was born near Dublin, Ireland, com-
ing to America in 1868 or 1869, being then
a young man. He first located in New
York, then went to New Haven, Connec-
ticut, and later to Bridgeport, Connecti-
cut, finally removing to Norwalk, same
State. He died October 21, 1904. Dan-
iel Keogh married Frances McMacken,
daughter of Thomas McMacken, who was
born in Glasgow, Scotland, died July 31,
1906, aged fifty-seven years, in South
Norwalk, Connecticut. Thomas Mc-
Macken married Sara Macllhenney,
whose mother, Jennie (Fulton) Macll-
henney, tradition says, was a cousin of
the inventor of the steamboat, "Robert
Fulton." Mr. and Mrs. Keogh were the
parents of nine children, seven of whom
grew to maturity : John, of further men-
tion ; Thomas, Daniel, Sarah E. ; Stephen
F., now deceased ; Jeremiah, and Harry W.
John (2) Keogh, son of Daniel and
Frances (McMacken) Keogh, was born
in New Haven, Connecticut, December
15, 1871. He was educated in the Bridge-
port and Norwalk public schools. In
1897 he graduated from the Yale Law
School with the degree of LL. B., and the
same year was admitted to the bar. Until
twelve years ago Mr. Keogh was engaged
in practice alone; in 1908 he formed a
partnership with Nehemiah Candee, a
sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this
work, under the firm name of Keogh &
Candee. Their practice is a general one
and they are among the most successful
lawyers of Fairfield county. For two
years Mr. Keogh served as judge of the
City Court, and was corporation counsel
of Norwalk for five years.
In politics Mr. Keogh is a Democrat,
and is a staunch advocate of that party's
principles. On January 1, 1920, he was
appointed referee in bankruptcy for Fair-
field county. Mr. Keogh serves as a
member of the board of directors and is
counsel for the People's Trust Company
of South Norwalk. Fraternally he is a Ma-
son, Odd Fellow, and Elk, and was first
commander of the local post of the Amer-
ican Legion. At the outbreak of the
World War, Mr. Keogh, who had seen
service in the Connecticut National Guard,
enlisted as a candidate at Plattsburg, New
York, and was later commissioned, serv-
ing with the 76th Division in France,
where he was made a captain and as-
signed to the staff of Major-General
Harry F. Hodges.
Mr. Keogh married, in 1898, Nana V.
Pearson, daughter of Thomas and Caro-
line Pearson, and they have two children :
Jack, born February 25, 1910 ; and Fran-
ces, born August II, 1912.
GREGORY, George,
Metallurgist, Legislator.
The English antecedents of Henry
Gregory, founder of the family in Amer-
ica, were of distinguished lineage, trac-
ing from Gregorious, whose son, John
Gregory, was lord of the manors of
Ashfordby, Leicestershire and Freseley,
Shropshire, England. He married Maud
Moton, daughter of Sir Roger Moton,
Knight of Peckleton. John Gregory was
living A. D. 1162. His son, Nicholas
Gregory, was the father of Adam Greg-
ory, of Highhurst, Lancashire, who mar-
ried a daughter of Adam Ormeston, of
Ormeston, in the same county. The coat-
of-arms of the Highhurst Gregory fam-
ily was :
Arms — Party per pale, argent and azure, two
lions rampant averse, counterchanged.
147
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
The next in line was William Gregory,
of Highhurst. Most genealogies call him
the son of Adam, but one writer says he
was a lineal descendant. William Greg-
ory married Dorothy Parr, of Kemp-
enhaughe, Lancashire, and her family
claimed descent from Sir William Parr,
of Parr (an ancestor of Queen Katharine
Parr, wife of Henry VIII.) and his wife,
Elizabeth (de Ros) Parr, who was de-
scended from Baron de Ros, one of the
twenty-five barons appointed to compel
King John to obey the Magna Charter.
Robert was also a crusader, and married
Isabel, natural daughter of King William
the Lion, of Scotland. Robert was de-
scended from the Earls of Warren and
King Henry I of France. William Greg-
ory had a son, Hugh, who married Maria
. Their son, Thomas Gregory, of
Overbroughton, Nottinghamshire, mar-
ried Dorothy Buston. Their son, John
Gregory, of Broughton, Sutney, Notting-
hamshire, married Alice . Of their
children, William, made a fortune as a
grazer, and was alderman, mayor and
member of Parliament from Nottingham.
(I) Henry Gregory, brother of William
Gregory, and the founder of the family in
New England, was born in Nottingham-
shire, England, about 1570. He was in
Boston, Massachusetts, before 1639, and
in Springfield, Massachusetts, not long
after, and was reckoned as one of the
worthiest citizens of that town. The his-
tory of Stratford, Connecticut, shows
Henry Gregory as a resident of that place
in 1647. In tnat year his son, John, tes-
tified as his father "was old and that his
eyesight had failed him." If he was born
in 1570, as seems probable, he was sev-
enty-seven years of age in 1647. He was
a shoemaker. No doubt he combined
with work at his trade the labors of a
husbandman during the growing season,
as was the custom of shoemakers until
within a period remembered by people
now living. The assessments against him
for taxes and the inventory of his estate
show him to have won a fair measure of
success through industry and thrift under
the trying conditions of pioneer life. He
died in 1655, and his will was proved June
19 of that year. In the history of Spring-
field, his wife is referred to as "Goody
Gregory." Henry Gregory had several
sons and two daughters: 1. John. 2.
Judah, married Sarah Burt, of Spring-
field, in 1643. 3- Samuel, married a daugh-
ter of Henry Wakelee. 4. Elizabeth, mar-
ried Richard Webb, one of the original
settlers of Hartford. 5. A daughter, mar-
ried William Crooker, of Stratford, in
1638. The daughters were no doubt older
than their brother, Samuel.
(II) John Gregory, eldest son of Henry
Gregory, was born in Nottinghamshire,
England, probably between the years 1600
and 1610. The date of his last recorded
deed was 1689, and the first notice of his
death appears in 1694, and he was at that
time a very old man. If the family came
to America between the years 1635 and
1638, as supposed, he was already a man
of mature years and had already accum-
ulated some wealth. He had been reared
in a superior environment among dis-
tinguished relatives, men of affairs, and
their influence had doubtless ripened in
him the character and habits of a leader
which he continued to exhibit in the new
home. While he is found mentioned in
histories of Springfield and Stratford, it
would seem tTiat New Haven was the first
town with which he was identified as a
resident for several years. He repre-
sented that town in the General Court.
His favorite sister, Elizabeth, had become
the wife of Richard Webb, the wealthy
Hartford resident who first signed the
agreement with Roger Ludlow for
the settlement of Norwalk, and it is more
148
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
than probable that the two families re-
moved together to Norwalk. At any
rate, John Gregory was one of the thirty
original settlers of that town and his
home lot was number one. He had
mowed hay in the town in the summer of
1653. He became a large land owner and
a leader of his community. He repre-
sented Norwalk nine times in the Legis-
lature at its May sessions and eight times
at its October sessions. His first term
was in 1662. He served on a committee
with three other citizens appointed in
1670, to settle the boundary line between
Norwalk and Saugatuck rivers. He mar-
ried Sarah and their children were :
I. John. 2. Jachin, removed to Wilton,
Connecticut, in 1625. 3. Judah, removed
to Danbury. 4. Joseph, baptized July 26,
1626. 5. Thomas, baptized March 19,
1648. 6. Phebe, married, in 1670, John
Benedict. 7. Sarah, born December 3,
1652, married James Benedict, brother of
Phebe's husband.
(Ill) Judah Gregory, son of John and
Sarah Gregory, was born about 1643, an^
died about 1733. He was an early settler
of Norwalk and Danbury. On October
20, 1664, he married Hannah Haite,
daughter of Walter Haite (Hoyt). Wal-
ter Haite was born about 1618. He was
living in Windsor, Connecticut, in 1640
and 1644. He was deputy fourteen ses-
sions; made sergeant in 1659; selectman
in 1672, and his death occurred about
1698. His father, Simon Hoyt, was prob-
ably born as early as 1595. He was of
Charlestown, Massachusetts, in 1628-29;
Dorchester in 1633 ; Scituate about 1635 ;
Windsor, Connecticut, about 1639 or 1640 ;
Stamford, Connecticut, between 1657 and
1658; Fairfield, Connecticut, before 1659,
and before his death was at Stamford
again. He died there September 1, 1667.
His wife, Susannah, died before Febru-
ary, 1674.
(IV) John (2) Gregory, son of Judah
and Hannah (Haite) Gregory, was born
March 17, 1668, and died in 1758. The
Christian name of his wife was Hannah.
(V) Ebenezer Gregory, son of John
(2) and Hannah Gregory, was born as
early as 1737, and died November 13, 1809,
in his seventy-fourth year, and is buried
in North Street Cemetery, Danbury, Con-
necticut. He lived in Danbury. He mar-
ried, July 12, 1768, Phebe Booth, daugh-
ter of Abel Booth, of Newton, and she
died September 26, 1818, aged eighty-one
years. Their children were: 1. Huldah,
born April 9, 1769, died January 12, 1774.
2. Caleb, of whom further. 3. Esther,
born November 23, 1772. 4. Abel Booth,
born October 28, 1774. 5. Huldah, born
August 19, 1776, died October 12, 1778.
Ebenezer Gregory had a nail shop on his
house lot, which he deeded to his son,
Abel B., in 1802.
(VI) Caleb Gregory, son of Ebenezer
and Phebe (Booth) Gregory, was born
October 10, 1770, and died December 2,
1849. He lived in Danbury, and in 1801
received by deed from his father land in
Wigwam in compensation for his services
between the ages of twenty-one and twen-
ty-seven. Caleb Gregory married Fanny
Brewer, daughter of Peter Brewer, and
she died July 18, 1825, at the age of fifty-
two years. Their children were : Stephen
Townsend, Harry, William Harvey, of
whom further ; Ira ; Abel ; Eliza, died July
24, 1831, aged twenty-one years; Maria,
married Aaron Pierce ; Phebe, died Octo-
ber 28, 1805, aged two years, five months,
five days.
(VII) William Harvey Gregory, son of
Caleb and Fanny (Brewer) Gregory, was
born in Danbury, in 1804, and died in 1891.
He spent most of his life in Darien, Con-
necticut, and in his young manhood was
a carpenter and joiner, but after some
years went into the lumber business. Mr.
149
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Gregory was a man of progressive ideas,
but very quiet and unassuming in man-
ner. He married Mary Ann Richards,
daughter of Ambe and Sally (Dibble)
Richards, of Darien. She was born in
1810, and died in 1868.
(VIII) George Gregory, son of Wil-
liam Harvey and Mary Ann (Richards)
Gregory, was born March 20, 1835, and is
now living at the advanced age of eighty-
six years (1921). He was educated in
the public schools, and at the age of six-
teen years became apprenticed to the
blacksmith's trade. He was only twenty-
five years old when he was made foreman
of what was then the largest blacksmith
shop in New Haven. In 1880 he went to
South Bend, Indiana, to take charge of a
shop for the Studebaker Brothers, but on
account of ill health was obliged to re-
turn East after about fourteen months.
After that he engaged for many years in
carpentering and farming. One notable
achievement of his career was the mas-
tery of the art of welding copper, and also
copper to iron, something very seldom at-
tempted. For many years Mr. Gregory
has resided at Xoroton Heights in the
town of Darien, where he is held in high
esteem. He was a member of the Legis-
lature. Mr. Gregory married Sarah Jane
YVhitlock, daughter of Wakeman and Bet-
sey M. (Slawson) YVhitlock. Their chil-
dren were: Henry W., William H., and
Ira O., sketches of whom follow.
(The Richards Line).
(I) Samuel Richards, the ancestor of
Mrs. Gregory, was born in England, prob-
ably in Staffordshire. He came to this
country as a soldier at the time of Queen
Anne's War, March 31, 1713. He was
then in his youth. He applied for a dis-
charge from the army which was refused.
Later, however, he was fortunate enough
to escape and eventually came to Nor-
walk, Connecticut, where he settled and
became one of the most useful and dis-
tinguished citizens there. He served as
grand juryman in 1734, and as ty thing-
man in 1743. Samuel Richards married
(first) March 7, 1714, Elizabeth Latham,
daughter of Jonathan Latham, of Nor-
walk, born in 1692, died in 1751. She
was the mother of John, of whom further.
(II) John Richards, son of Samuel and
Elizabeth (Latham) Richards, was born
February 16, 1720-21, and died May 5,
1790. He married, January 19, 1742-43.
Rebecca Fitch, born in 1720, died October
15, 1801 ; they resided in what is now
West Xorwalk, and John Richards served
as grand juror in 1750.
(III) John (2) Richards, son of John
(1) and Rebecca (Fitch) Richards, was
born in Xorwalk, Connecticut, and bap-
tized July 28, 1744. He was a cordwainer
by occupation. He married, in Ridgefield,
Connecticut, February 5, 1766, the Widow
Abigail Olmstead.
(IV) Ambe Richards, son of John (2)
and Abigail (Olmstead) Richards, was
born September 23, 1773. He married, in
1801, Sally Dibble, daughter of John Dib-
ble. This line has not yet been definitely
traced back of Reuben Dibble, the grand-
father of Sally Dibble. Reuben Dibble
was born February 6, 1732-33, and mar-
ried (first), March 16, 1758, Anne Sher-
wood, who presented a son, John, for bap-
tism on December 16, 1759.
(The Whitlock Line).
Justus Whitlock, born February 12.
1764, formerly of Greenfield, Massachu-
setts, married, July 19. or 29. 1781, Abi-
gail Meeker, of Redding, Connecticut,
(see Meeker).
Walter Whitlock. son of Justus and
Abigail (Meeker) Whitlock, born Febru-
ary 22, 1782, was made freeman in Red-
ding, Connecticut. Married, December 24.
SO
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
1799, Anna Morgan Gorham, born in Red-
dington, Connecticut, September 1, 1782,
daughter of Isaac Gorham, Jr. (see Gor-
ham).
(The Meeker Line).
Abigail Meeker, who on July 19, or 29,
1781, married Justus Whitlock, was born
February 12, 1764, daughter of Seth
and Abbie (Wakeman) Meeker. Samuel
Meeker, father of Seth Meeker, was born
about 1700, and married Abigail Greg-
ory. Their residence was on Cross High-
way, Westport, Connecticut. His father,
Daniel Meeker, married Elizabeth, daugh-
ter of Richard Ogden, ancestor of the Og-
den family. His father, Robert Meeker,
married, in Branford, Connecticut, in
1640, Susannah Tuberfield, and his will
is dated 1651.
(The Gorham Line).
(I) The Gorham family was established
in England in the time of the Norman
Conquest. James Gorham, born in 1550,
in Benefield, Northamptonshire, Eng-
land, married, in 1572, Agnes Bernington.
He died in 1576. His descent is trade
from the De Gorrams, of La Tanniere,
near the village of Gorram in Maine on
the borders of Brittany as early as the
beginning of the twelfth century. In
1 158, Giles De Gorham, led an expedition
to the Holy Land and returned to La Tan-
niere in 1 162. Several of the family fol-
lowed William the Conqueror to Eng-
land. The Gothambury Manor in Hert-
fordshire was in the possession of the
Gorhams from quite early in the twelfth
century until 1307, when John and his
wife, Isabella, sold the reversion of the
estate after their deaths and thus it passed
from the family. In 1338, a William de
Gorham was living in Oundle, a place
near Benefield.
(II) Ralph Gorham, son of James Gor-
ham, was born in 1575 m Benefield. He
died about 1643. He came with his fam-
ily to New England, and was in Plymouth
in 1636.
(III) Captain John Gorham, son of
Ralph Gorham, was baptized in Benefield,
England, January 28, 1620-21, and came to
New England in 1635 in the ship "Philip."
He married, in 1643, Desire Howland,
daughter of John and Elizabeth (Tilly)
Howland (a Mayflower passenger) and
granddaughter of John Tilly and wife
Vandevelde, who also came in the "May-
flower." On October 4, 1675, John Gor-
ham was appointed captain of the Sec-
ond Company of Plymouth forces in King
Philip's War, and died from exposure in
the Great Swamp Fight. He was buried
February 5, 1675-76, in Swansea, Massa-
chusetts. Desire Howland, born in Ply-
mouth in 1623, was one of the first chil-
dren born in the Colony. She died Octo-
ber 13, 1683, in Barnstable, Massachu-
setts. In 1646 Captain Gorham removed
to Marshfield, where two years later he
was chosen constable. He was made
freeman in 1650; was a member of the
Grand Inquest in 1651 ; removed to Yar-
mouth in 1652. There he was elected to
the Plymouth Colony Court in 1653. He
was surveyor of wards in 1654 ; selectman
of Barnstable in 1673-74; in 1673 was ap-
pointed lieutenant of the Plymouth force
in the Dutch War. He was a farmer
and tanner, and also owned a grist mill.
In 1669 the Plymouth Court granted him
one hundred acres at Papasquosh Neck,
and in 1677 confirmed the grant to his
heirs forever for the services he had per-
formed. A similar grant of land in Gor-
ham, Maine, was also participated in by
his heirs.
(IV) Jabez Gorham, son of Captain
John and Desire (Howland) Gorham,
was born in Barnstable, Massachusetts,
August 3, 1656. He married a widow,
Mrs. Hannah Gray, daughter of Edward
51
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
and Alice or Elizabeth Sturges. He died
May 3, 1725, in Bristol, Rhode Island, and
she died March 13, 1739. He also served
in King Philip's War and was wounded.
In 1680 he was constable in Yarmouth,
Massachusetts, and on the Grand Inquest
in 1683.
(V) Joseph Gorham, son of Jabez and
Hannah (Gray) Gorham, was born in
Bristol, Rhode Island. Concerning his
marriage, historians differ. The Gorham
chart in the Fairfield Family Book states
that he married Abigail Lockwood, of
Fairfield, April 7, or May II, 1715. She
was born November 28, 1694, and died
January 23, 1724-25. Orcutt's "History of
Stratford" states that Joseph Gorham
married (first) Sarah , and was
then of Stratford. The Sturges geneal-
ogy gives Sarah Sturges as the name of
his wife. There is a dispute that he mar-
ried a Sarah at all unless he was thrice
married. He married (second or third)
Deborah Barlow, daughter of John and
Abigail (Lockwood) Barlow, January 13,
1725-26. She was born May 3, 1705-06,
and died January 25, 1778. He removed
from Bristol and was in Stratford as early
as 1715. He was a cordwainer by trade.
(VI) Isaac Gorham, son of Joseph Gor-
ham, was born November 14, 1730, ac-
cording to the Fairfield Family Book.
The Fairfield church records give date of
his baptism as September 30, 1729, while
his tombstone in the Sanfordtown Church
in Redding gives his age as sixty-eight
years, eights months, ten days, when he
died July 4, 1798, and this would make
his birthday, October 24, 1729. On July
25, 1752, he married Ann Wakeman, born
October 24, 1728, and died June 11, 1808,
daughter of Joseph, Jr. and Abigail (Al-
len) Wakeman. The town of Redding
deeded him part of a highway on the
easterly side of the Mill Common, De-
cember 13, 1769. His negro slave, "Tone,"
was baptized April 11, 1772. Isaac Gor-
ham and Ann Gorham, were received into
the church in Redding on producing a
certificate of Greens Farms, and were in
good standing there January 24, 1762. He
was a farmer, and lived on the river run-
ning to Saugautuck, about one-quarter of
a mile west of their homestead.
(VII) Isaac (2) Gorham, son of Isaac
(1) and Ann (Wakeman) Gorham, was
born, according to his tombstone, Novem-
ber 15, 1761, and died in Redding, May 4,
1813. He married, March 4, 1780, Sarah
Morgan, born October 21, 1763, died Jan-
uary 7, or 17, 1836, daughter of John
Morgan. Their daughter Anna M. married
Walter Whitlock (see Whitlock line).
(The Morgan Line).
Sarah (Morgan) Gorham, who on
March 4, 1780, married Isaac Gorham, Jr.,
died January 7 or 17, 1836, aged seventy-
two years, two months and sixteen days,
according to her tombstone in the Red-
ding Cemetery.
John Morgan, father of Sarah (Mor-
gan) Gorham, was born December 27,
1736. He married, January or February,
1758, Joanna Banks, born December 1,
1739, daughter of Joseph and Joanna
Banks.
Captain James Morgan, father of John
Morgan, was born April 1 or 2, 1716, in
Eachchester, New York. He married
(first) April 7, 1736, Anne Morehouse,
born September 14, 1718, daughter of
John and Ruth (Barlow) Morehouse. He
served in Captain Bradley's company for
relief of Fort William Henry. He rode
on horseback from Fairfield, and served
sixteen days from August 7 to August 23,
1757-
James Morgan, father of Captain James
Morgan, married Abigail Fowler, daugh-
ter of Henry Fowler, Sr., of Eastchester,
New York.
152
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Charles Morgan, father of James Mor-
gan, married Elizabeth Feke, daughter of
Widow Mary Feke. The latter made her
will, June 20, 1691.
Charles Morgan, father of Charles Mor-
gan, came, it is said, from Wales. He
married (first) February 9, 1648, in New
Amsterdam, Helena Applegate. He mar-
ried (second) Catlyntje Hendricks.
(The Banks Line)
(I) This branch of the family was es-
tablished in America by John Bank, prob-
ably a native of England. He spent some
years in Wethersfield, Connecticut, where
he was town clerk in 1643. There he mar-
ried Mary Taintor, daughter of Charles
Taintor, who afterwards also located in
Fairfield. Soon after 1649, with Roger
Ludlow, deputy governor, he went to
Fairfield, where he was granted a home
lot, and also acquired land by purchase.
He was a lawyer and at once took an im-
portant part in public affairs. From 165 1
to 1666, he represented Fairfield in the
General Assembly. Later he settled in
Rye, New York, and from 1670 to 1673
represented that town in the General As-
sembly. About 1675-76, he was appointed
one of the Indian Council.
(II) Benjamin Banks, son of John
Bank, was married, June 29, 1679, to
Elizabeth Lyon, daughter of Richard
Lyon. Benjamin Banks died about 1693.
(III) Joseph Banks, son of Benjamin
and Elizabeth (Lyon) Banks, was born
December 29, 1691, and died January 4,
1766. He married, June 25, 1712, Mary
Sherwood, daughter of Benjamin and
Sarah Sherwood. Both were admitted
to the Greenfield church, July 10, 1726.
Mrs. Banks died June 13, 1779.
(IV) Deacon Joseph (2) Banks, son of
Joseph (1) and Mary (Sherwood) Banks,
was born April 12, 1713. He married, in
Greenfield, March 29, 1737, his first cous-
in, Joanna Banks, daughter of Benjamin
and Ruth (Hyatt) Banks. He settled in
Redding, Connecticut, and died July 8,
1802. Their daughter, Joanna Banks,
married John Morgan.
(The Morehouse Line).
(I) Thomas Morehouse, the immigrant,
was in Wethersfield, Connecticut, in
1640. He removed to Stamford, Connec-
ticut, the following year, and in 1653
bought twenty-four acres of land on
"Sasco Hill," and ten days later bought
the grist mill there. He died in 1658.
Thomas Morehouse married Isabel
Keeler, daughter of Ralph Keeler, sup-
posed to have been his second wife and
not the mother of his children.
(II) Lieutenant Samuel Morehouse,
son of Thomas Morehouse, was born in
Fairfield, Connecticut, as early as 1637.
He was granted land in the "Long Lots,"
extending back to near the center of Red-
ding. He died in 1687. He married Re-
becca O'Dell, daughter of William and
Rebecca O'Dell, of Concord, Massachu-
setts. The latter were in Southampton,
Long Island, in 1642, and later in Fair-
field, Connecticut. Their daughter was
baptized in Concord in 1639.
(III) John Morehouse, son of Lieuten-
ant Samuel and Rebecca (O'Dell) More-
house, was born in Fairfield, Connecticut,
a "yeoman," as early as 1668. He died
there in 1727. John Morehouse married
Ruth Barlow, daughter of John, Jr. and
Abigail (Lockwood) Barlow. John Bar-
low, Sr. married Ann. or Anna .
His will is dated May 28, 1674. Thomas
Barlow married Rose, daughter of Tho-
mas Sherwood, and widow of Thomas
Rumble. She was eleven years old when
her father, Thomas Sherwood, Sr., emi-
grated to America in 1634. Thomas Bar-
low's will is dated September 8, 1658, and
mentions his wife and seven daughters,
153
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
but no sons. John Barlow, Sr. was living
at the time and it is the opinion of some
genealogists that he was the son of Tho-
mas Barlow, even though not mentioned
in his will.
(IV) Ann Morehouse, daughter of John
and Ruth (Barlow) Morehouse, was bap-
tized November 2, 1716. According to
her father's will, in 1727, she was then
eleven years old, but according to the
Family Book, Fairfield, she was born
September 14, 1718. She married, April
7, 1736, Captain James Morgan. She died
November 5, 1735.
(The Slason-Slawson Line).
(I) George Slason made his will, De-
cember 19, 1694, and changed it the fol-
lowing January. He speaks of his wife,
who was then alive, and three children,
Eleazer, John and Hannah.
(II) John Slawson, youngest son of
George Slason, was born in 1645. He
married (first) November 12, 1663, Sarah
Tuttle, daughter of William Tuttle, of
New Haven. She was baptized in April,
1642, and was killed by her brother, Ben-
jamin, with an axe, November 17, 1676.
He was supposed to be insane, but was
executed, June 13, 1677. John Slawson
married (second) Elizabeth Benedict,
daughter of Deacon Thomas Benedict, of
Norwalk, Connecticut.
(III) Jonathan Slawson, second son
and third child of John and Sarah (Tuttle)
Slawson, was born July 25, 1670-71. At
his death, November 19, 1727, he was
called ensign. He married (first) Febru-
ary 4, 1 699- 1 700, Mary Waterbury, daugh-
ter of John Waterbury, of Stamford. She
was born March 20, 1679, and died May
12, 1710. He married (second) July n,
171 1, Rose Stevens, born October 14,
1683, daughter of Obediah and Rebecca
(Rose) Stevens.
(IV) David Slawson, son of Jonathan
and Rose (Stevens) Slawson, was born
December 28, 1713. He married, in April,
1735, Eunice Scofield. David Slawson
was in service sixteen days in 1757, in a
militia company under Captain David
Hanford, of Norwalk, Colonel Jonathan
Hait's regiment, on alarm for relief of
Fort Henry.
(V) Jonathan (2) Slawson, son of Da-
vid and Eunice (Scofield) Slawson, was
born February 28, 1736-37, and died Au-
gust 31, 1820, in New Canaan. He mar-
ried, December 2, 1762, Lydia Lockwood,
born February 9, 1741-42, daughter of
Robert Lockwood.
(VI) Jonas Slawson, son of Jonathan
(2) and Lydia (Lockwood) Slawson, was
born February 19, 1780. He married, June
3, 1802, Hannah Wright, born December
9, 1785, daughter of Dennis and Lois
(Newel) Wright. Dennis Wright was
born April 19, 1761, and married, March
14, 1781, Lois Newel, born July 9, 1756.
They apparently lived at one time in Nor-
walk, and also owned land in New Can-
aan. Research has thus far not disclosed
the immediate antecedents of Dennis
Wright, but it is supposed that he came
from the Long Island family of that name.
(VII) Betsey M. Slawson, daughter
of Jonas and Hannah (Wright) Slawson,
born September 20, 1814, died February
20, 1876. She married Wakeman Whit-
lock, and was the mother of Sarah J.
Whitlock, who became the wife of George
Gregory.
(The Lockwood Line).
Lydia Lockwood, who married Jona-
than Slawson, December 22, 1762, was
born in Norwalk, Connecticut, February
9, 1741, according to the Lockwood gen-
ealogy ; the family Bible, however, gives
the year 1742.
Robert Lockwood, father of Lydia
(Lockwood) Slawson, was born in Green-
wich, Connecticut, in 1714. He married,
154
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
in June, 1739, Rachel or Jane Stevens, and
soon after removed to Norwalk, Connec-
ticut. He was in Salem, New York, be-
tween 1746 and 1750, and was of New-
burgh, in 1775.
Still John Lockwood, father of Robert
Lockwood, was born about 1674, in
Greenwich, Connecticut, and died in 1758.
Jonathan Lockwood, father of Still
John Lockwood, was born September 10,
1634, in Watertown, Massachusetts. On
October 16, 1660, he was of Stamford,
Connecticut, and five years later sold his
estate there, removing to Greenwich, Con-
necticut, where he was one of the twenty-
seven proprietors. In 1671 he served as
assistant. His death occurred May 12,
1688. He married Mary (Marah) Ferris,
daughter of Jeffrey Ferris, a sketch of
whom appears elsewhere in this work.
Robert Lockwood, father of Jonathan
Lockwood, came from England about
1630, and in 1641 was settled in Fairfield,
Connecticut. There he died in 1658.
GREGORY, Henry Whitmore,
Judge of Probate.
Henry Whitmore Gregory, son of
George and Sarah Jane (Whitlock) Greg-
ory (q. v.), was born in New Haven, Con-
necticut, November 24, 1867. He attended
the grammar schools of New Haven, and
prepared for college at the Stamford High
School. In 1891 he was graduated from
the Sheffield Scientific School with the
degree of Ph.B. Subsequently he read
law under the preceptorship of J. Belden
Hurlburt, of Norwalk, and was admitted
to the bar in 1893. Under the firm name
of Hurlburt & Gregory, he practiced law
until March, 1900. In the latter year Mr.
Gregory was elcted judge of probate and
he has held this office continuously since
that time.
The voters of both parties are respon-
sible for Judge Gregory's long service in
the public interest. They have recognized
his special fitness to administer probate
matters. He knows the law ; his mind is
logical, and his sense of fairness strong.
Among his fellow-citizens he is held in
the highest esteem. Other interests of
Judge Gregory include : Director of the
Fairfield County Savings Bank ; president
of the Lounsbury & Bissell Company, felt
manufacturers. Fraternally, he is a mem-
ber of St. John's Lodge, No. 6, Ancient
Free and Accepted Masons ; Washington
Chapter, No. 24, Royal Arch Masons;
Council, Royal and Select Mas-
ters ; the Norwalk Club ; the Norwalk
Country Club.
Judge Gregory married Eleanor Ida
Miller, daughter of Christian Miller, of
Stamford. With his wife, Judge Gregory
attends Grace Episcopal Church and aids
in the support of its good works.
GREGORY, William Harvey,
Dentist.
William Harvey Gregory, son of George
and Sarah Jane (Whitlock) Gregory (q.
v.), was born June 18, 1875, in New
Haven, Connecticut. He was educated in
the public schools of Darien. In 1894 he
graduated from the South Norwalk High
School, and subsequent to this time was
engaged for a year in teaching school. He
entered the New York College of Dentis-
try and was graduated from there in 1898
with the degree of D. D. S. In July of the
same year Dr. Gregory engaged in prac-
tice. His work is of a general nature, al-
though he makes a specialty of treating
teeth. Dr. Gregory is among the leading
citizens of Stamford, and is much inter-
ested in all that pertains to the welfare of
that city. He is a member of Puritan
Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows ; St. John's Club. He is also a mem-
155
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
ber of the Connecticut State Dental Asso-
ciation and of the National Dental Asso-
ciation.
On December II, 1904, Dr. Gregory
married Harriet Martha Post, daughter
of Nicolas Post, of Staten Island, now
residing in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
The mother of Mrs. Gregory died when
she was eleven days old and she was
reared by an aunt, Mrs. Eben Bouton, of
South Norwalk, Connecticut, and she as-
sumed the name of Bouton. Dr. and Mrs.
Gregory are the parents of two children :
Lois Harriet, born November 13, 1905,
and Henry William, born January 16,
I9I5-
GREGORY, Ira Oswin,
Lawyer, Useful Citizen.
Ira Oswin Gregory, youngest son of
George and Sarah Jane (Whitlock) Greg-
ory (q. v.), was born May 21, 1881, in
Weston, Connecticut. He was educated
in the public schools of Darien and Nor-
walk, Connecticut, and graduated from
the Yale Law School in the class of 1904,
with the degree of LL. B. For six years
following his graduation, Mr. Gregory
was associated with the legal firm of
Walsh & Hubbell, of Norwalk, and subse-
quently engaged in practice on his own
account. His practice is a general one
with a large proportion of real estate law.
He has met with success in his profes-
sion and this has been well deserved, the
just reward of diligence and attention to
details. In the public life of Norwalk
Mr. Gregory has taken his place as an
alert and public-spirited citizen, and all
matters of public interest are his interests.
It seems especially fitting to find the
scions of the oldest Colonial families oc-
cupying places of prominence and pres-
tige in the communities. He was one of
the first to become interested in the Boy
Scouts, and was first president of the
Norwalk Council, serving for several
years, and has held many other offices,
evincing a decided interest in that move-
ment. Mr. Gregory is a Mason in fra-
ternal afiiliation, and is a member of St.
John's Lodge, No. 6, Ancient Free and
Accepted Masons ; Benevolent and Pro-
tective Order of Elks ; and of the Royal
Arcanum.
Mr. Gregory married Edna Baker,
daughter of Edward V. and Carrie E.
(Duncan) Baker. Mrs. Gregory is a
granddaughter of Tallmadge Baker, ex-
treasurer of Connecticut.
JENNINGS, Stanley T.,
Lawyer, Public Official.
Stanley T. Jennings, son of James
Stanley and Harriet Emily (Ritch)
Jennings, was born January 9, 1873, at
Greenwich, Connecticut. Mr. Jennings
graduated from the New York Law
School in 1894, and was admitted to the
Connecticut bar at Bridgeport, in July,
1894, and ever since has practiced law,
first in Greenwich, his native town, for
three years, and afterward in Stamford.
For more than twenty years he was a
partner of the late Edwin L. Scofield,
under the firm name of Scofield & Jen-
nings. Since the death of Mr. Scofield
he has continued the practice of law
alone. He has held the following public
offices : Deputy judge of the City Court
of Stamford for two terms ;' corporation
counsel of the city of Stamford for two
terms ; and town counsel of Stamford for
two years, and also for the town of Da-
rien. At present he holds no public office,
and does not enter actively in politics as
he did in former years.
The ancient family of Jennings is of
English-Saxon origin, having been seated
in Yorkshire prior to the Norman Con-
156
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
quest. The name has been variously
spelled Jennyns, Jennes, as well as in the
modern form, Jennings.
Joshua Jennings, founder of the Amer-
ican branch of the family, was born in
England about 1620 to 1625, and emi-
grated to the New England Colony about
1645 to io47- In the latter year he was
in Hartford, Connecticut, and later re-
moved to Fairfield, where he passed the
remainder of his life.
The grandfather of Mr. Jennings was
Orin S. Jennings, and his gradmother was
Mary Esther Partrick, both born in
Ridgefield, Connecticut, and later re-
moved to North Wilton, where they both
died.
The mother of Mr. Jennings was Har-
riet Emily Ritch, who at the time of her
marriage to James S. Jennings lived in
Greenwich, Connecticut. Her father was
Rufus Ritch, and her mother was Ma-
haley Lockwood. Mr. Jennings had five
sisters, all of whom are living and named
as follows: 1. Sarah O., widow of J. B.
Hendrie, of Stamford, Connecticut. 2.
Mary Emma, widow of Thomas Newton,
a contractor of Hartford. 3. Alice D.,
widow of Thomas Lilly, of Norwalk, Con-
necticut. 4. Lizzie, who married Edward
F. W. Gillespie, of Stamford. 5. Mar-
garet Eugenia, unmarried, of Stamford.
Stanley T. Jennings married, in No-
vember, 1894, Lucy Holmes Hendrie,
daughter of Joshua B. Hendrie, of Stam-
ford, Connecticut, and by her had three
children, now (1921), all living: Adrian
Hendrie, Laurence Ritch; and Margaret
Isabel, who married Harry Murray of
Stamford.
PERDUE, Robert E.,
Physician, Specialist.
No list of the leading physicians, not
of Norwalk alone, but also of Fairfield
county, would be complete without the
name we have just written at the head of
this article. Dr. Perdue has a record of
honorable service in the late war, and is
prominently identified with the profes-
sional and fraternal organizations of his
community.
The name Perdue, which is variously
written Purdew, Purdey, Purdie, Purdy,
and Purdye, appears to be a corruption of
the old ejaculatory expression derived
from the French "perdie," used thus in
Spenser's "Fairie Queen": "That red-
cross knight, perdie, I never slew."
Loren O. Perdue, father of Robert E.
Perdue, was born in Carroll county, Ohio,
and was a man of superior education. At
an early age he became a teacher, and
later a professor at Purdue University.
In the latter part of his life he retired to
a farm in Louisiana, where he died in
1912. Prof. Perdue married Isabel Aiken,
daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Van-
derhoof) Aiken. Robert Aiken was a na-
tive of Scotland, and at the age of twelve
years came with a sister to the United
States. He became a very successful
farmer, removing in 1838 from Coshocton
county to McArthur, and owning one of
the first sawmills ever built and operated
in Ohio. His marriage took place in Mc-
Arthur, Ohio, and he and his wife became
the parents of two daughters and a son :
Alice, married Ira Wood, of Webster,
Ohio, and is now deceased ; Martha, mar-
ried D. A. Engle, of Logan, Hocking
county, Ohio, and is also deceased ; and
Robert E., mentioned below. The family
were all members of the Presbyterian
church.
Robert E. Perdue, son of Loren O. and
Isabel (Aiken) Perdue, was born in Mc-
Arthur, Ohio, June 7, 1875. He received
his preparatory education in public schools
of his native town, passing thence to the
157
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Ohio State University and then entering
the Starling Medical School at Columbus.
From the latter institution he graduated
in 1895 with the degree of Doctor of
Medicine.
After a year spent in gaining experience
in St. Francis' Hospital in Columbus, Dr.
Perdue removed to Southport, Connecti-
cut, in 1896, where he remained nine
years. In 1907 he established himself in
Norwalk, where, as a general practitioner
and also specialist of children's diseases,
he has built up a large and profitable
clientele. He has for some years served
on the staff of the Norwalk Hospital, of
which he was in 1920 vice-president, and
president in 1921.
During the World War Dr. Perdue was
in service from August, 191 7, to Febru-
ary, 1919, being appointed medical officer
of the Engineer Officers' Training School
at Lee and Camp Humphries, serving al-
so at the latter place as camp surgeon.
Enlisting as captain, he was advanced
shortly after enlisting in the service to the
rank of major, and still holds that rank
in the Reserve Corps of the United States
army.
The professional organizations in which
Dr. Perdue is enrolled include the Nor-
walk Medical Society, the Fairfield Coun-
ty Medical Society, the Connecticut Med-
ical Society, and the American Medical
Association. He affiliates with St. John's
Lodge, No. 6, Free and Accepted Masons ;
Butler Chapter, Royal Arch Masons ; and
the Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks, all of Norwalk. He also affiliates
with the Improved Order of Red Men of
Norwalk, and his only club is the Nor-
walk.
Dr. Perdue married Mary Bernard,
daughter of David F. and Catherine Ber-
nard, of Norwalk.
The record of Dr. Perdue, now covering
a period of nearly a quarter of a century,
gives him high standing in his chosen
profession, and as he is now in the prime
of life it conveys assurance that further
distinction awaits him in the years to
come.
TENNY, Robert Mack,
Manufacturer.
It is safe to say that the business men
of South Norwalk have no more aggres-
sive representative than the one they
possess in the citizen whose name stands
at the head of this article. Mr. Tenny is
actively interested in all that concerns the
welfare of his community, and is well
known in its fraternal and social circles.
The Tenny family is of English origin,
and the name is probably an abbreviation
of Tennyson, or Tenison, perhaps the
same as Tynesende. Albert S. Tenny,
father of Robert Mack Tenny, was born
in Winchester, New Hampshire, and was
reared on a farm. As a young man he
went to Boston, where for some years he
was employed in the wholesale dry goods
business. He then entered the service of
W. W. Lewisohn & Son, umbrella manu-
facturers, and before long became a mem-
ber of the firm. He was a man of ability
and energy, and continued to be active in
the business as long as he lived. He affi-
liated with the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows. Mr. Tenny married Sadie E.
Nelson, born in Foxboro, Massachusetts,
daughter of Robert and Louisa (Dill)
Nelson, and they became the parents of
one child, Robert Mack, mentioned be-
low. Mr. and Mrs. Tenny were members
of the Warren Avenue Baptist Church,
Boston. The death of Mr. Tenny occurred
November 15, 1895.
Robert Mack Tenny, son of Albert S.
and Sadie E. (Nelson) Tenny, was born
May 6, 1880, in Boston, and received his
education in the public schools of his na-
158
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
tive city. His first employment was in a
hotel, and after a time he became a clerk
in the Adams House, Boston, a position
which he retained for two years. He was
then for several years manager of the old
Bowdoin Square Hotel, Boston.
After resigning this position, Mr. Tenny
went to New York City, where he became
a salesman for William Hegeman & Com-
pany, dealers in" bulbs and similar prod-
ucts. For about ten years he remained
with this concern, during the first two
years as a salesman and afterward as a
member of the firm. He was a factor of
importance in the conduct of the business
until the death of Mr. Hegeman, but
shortly after that event, he disposed of his
interest and severed his connection with
the establishment.
About twelve years ago Mr. Tenny be-
came a resident of South Norwalk. Soon
after withdrawing from the bulb business
he had associated himself with the auto-
mobile industry in Ossining, New York,
dealing in Dodge and Buick cars, but on
coming to South Norwalk he turned his
attention in another direction. In No-
vember, 1919, with his two brothers-in-
law, Dr. L. M. Allen, of South Norwalk,
and J. R. Wrigley, then of Bridgeport,
but now of South Norwalk, he organized
a company under the name of John R.
Wrigley, Inc., the object being the man-
ufacture of paper boxes. The firm pur-
chased the Luther Wright building in
South Norwalk and equipped it as a fac-
tory, with every modern facility for mak-
ing paper boxes. They employ on an av-
erage about fifty persons, and their prod-
uct is sold to manufacturers in every part
of the State of Connecticut.
One of Mr. Tenny's dominant charac-
teristics is love of music, and for years
he has found in playing the cornet a
means of rest and relaxation from the
cares of business. He affiliates with Old
Well Lodge, No. 108, Free and Accepted
Masons, of South Norwalk.
Mr. Tenny married, in June, 1919,
Amelia Becker, daughter of Frank C. and
Amelia (Grupe) Becker, of Norwalk, and
they are the parents of one child, Robert
Mack Tenny, Jr., born April 3, 1920.
Mr. Tenny is now enjoying the well-
earned fruits of his energy and progres-
siveness, and as he is in the prime of life
there is reason to expect that the record
of the coming years will be one of pros-
perity and accomplishment.
JOHNSON, Newton Samuel,
Business Man, Public Official.
That this is the name of one of her
most progressive business men no citizen
of Greenwich needs to be told, for while
Mr. Johnson's place of business is in Port
Chester, New York, he has been a resi-
dent of Greenwich for more than a third
of a century, and for eleven years has
filled continuously and in the most satis-
factory manner the office of first select-
man.
Charles Wesley Johnson, father of
Newton Samuel Johnson, was born Au-
gust 22, 1831, in Concord, New Hamp-
shire, and is a descendant of New Eng-
land ancestors. He learned the trade of
house painter and decorator, and after his
marriage moved to Pomfret, Connecticut,
where he engaged in this occupation dur-
ing all the active years of his life. Mr.
Johnson married Elizabeth Griggs, born
in Hampton, Connecticut, daughter of
Jesse Griggs, and of the eight children
born to them, the following reached ma-
turity : Elizabeth, deceased ; Harriet, de-
ceased ; Anna, deceased, formerly the wife
of John W. Curtiss ; Albert, deceased ;
George, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts ;
Newton Samuel, mentioned below. Mr.
and Mrs. Johnson were members of the
[59
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Congregational church in Pomfret On
November 26, 1902, Mrs. Johnson passed
away, and after this sad event, her hus-
band retired from business. He is still
living, being now in the eighty-ninth year
of his age and retaining, to a wonderful
degree his physical and mental vigor,
reading without the aid of spectacles.
His children, with the exception of George
and Newton Samuel, are all now deceased.
Newton Samuel Johnson, son of Charles
Wesley and Elizabeth (Griggs) Johnson,
was born August 7, 1866, in Pomfret,
Connecticut, and received his education in
the public schools of his birthplace. He
learned the business of a butcher and for
several years engaged in it, during a por-
tion of that time having his own estab-
lishment.
In 1882 Mr. Johnson removed to Green-
wich and for about ten years thereafter
continued to carry on his special line of
business. He has always been a man of
much enterprise and about this time
availed himself, with characteristic alert-
ness, of an opportunity which presented
itself. He erected a plant for the grind-
ing of feldspar for the purpose of supply-
ing the potters and glassmakers in the
Glenville section of the town of Green-
wich, and the manner in which the busi-
ness developed proved that the venture
had been a wise one, large quantities of
crushed stone being shipped to road build-
ers. At the end of fifteen years, the sup-
ply of raw material being exhausted, Mr.
Johnson resumed his former business and
for seven years prospered in it, disposing
of his interests in 1916.
Two years prior to this he had organ-
ized the firm of Eddy & Johnson, in Port
Chester, New York, and after about eight-
een months had purchased the interests
of his partner. Not long after, he asso-
ciated himself with Frederick A. Bier-
mann, the firm name becoming Johnson
& Biermann. They do a large business
in auto accessories, farm implements and
general hardware, maintaining three spa-
cious warehouses.
In politics Mr. Johnson has always
been a staunch Republican, and in Octo-
ber, 1909, was elected first selectman. He
has ever since received regularly the tri-
bute of a reelection and now has two
years of his present term still to serve.
In fraternal affairs Mr. Johnson is very
active. He affiliates with Acacia Lodge,
No. 85, Free and Accepted Masons, of
Greenwich, as well as with the Improved
Order of Red Men, the Knights of Py-
thias, and the Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks, these three organizations
being also of Greenwich. He and his
wife are members of Christ Protestant
Episcopal Church of their home town.
Mr. Johnson married Hattie Pine,
daughter of Samuel and Augusta Pine,
and a native of New York State. By
this marriage Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are
the parents of two sons: 1. Samuel Eu-
gene, born May 2, 1895, now with Wil-
liam R. Grace & Company, exporters, of
New York; he served sixteen months in
France as a member of Company B, Mili-
tary Police, Twenty-seventh Division,
and was cited for bravery. 2. Charles W.,
born July 22, 1896; now associated with
his father in the hardware business ; mar-
ried Beatrice Sherwood, of Armonk, New
York, and they have one child, Charles
W., Jr.
Newton Samuel Johnson has made a
worthy record both as business man and
public official, for he is now at the head
of a flourishing concern, and has received
from his fellow-citizens convincing proof
of their confidence in his ability to serve
them and his disinterested zeal in doing
so.
160
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
KNAPP, Nathaniel Augustus,
Legislator, Town Official.
The office now so ably filled by Mr.
Knapp does not represent his first ex-
perience as a public official, but has come
to him in recognition of long and faithful
service to his community. His native
town of Greenwich, of which he has al-
ways remained a resident, has called him
to serve her in various capacities, most
notably as a member of the Legislature.
He has shown his fidelity by his loyal
responsiveness, and his effective, disin-
terested work.
The name of Knapp is of very ancient
Teutonic origin, and signifies a top, or
knob. The family is entitled to display
the following escutcheon :
Arms — Or, in chief, three close helmets sable;
in base a lion passant, of the last.
Crest — An arm embowed, in armor, proper, gar-
nished, or, the hand of the first grasping by the
blade a broken sword, argent; hilt and pommel of
the second, with a branch of laurel, vert.
Motto — Spes nostra Deus.
(I) Nicholas Knapp, founder of the
families of Greenwich and Stamford,
Connecticut, and Rye, New York, came
from England in 1630 with Winthrop and
Saltonstall, and settled first in Water-
town, Massachusetts, removing to Weth-
ersfield, Connecticut, and finally to Stam-
ford, where he died, in 1670. He married
(first) at Watertown, Eleanor ;
she died in 1658; he married (second)
Unity, widow of Peter Brown and Clem-
ent Buxton. His children were all by his
first wife.
(II) Joshua Knapp, son of Nicholas
and Eleanor Knapp, was born in 1634, and
was one of the original patentees named
in the patent granted to the town of
Greenwich. He married Hannah Close,
daughter of Gardener Close, and his death
occurred in 1684.
Conn-8— 11 l6l
(III) Joshua (2) Knapp, son of Joshua
(1) and Hannah (Close) Knapp, was born
in 1663, and married (first) Elizabeth
Reynolds, daughter of Jonathan Rey-
nolds ; (second) Abigail Butler. Joshua
(2) Knapp died some time prior to 1750.
(IV) Jonathan Knapp, son of Joshua
(2) Knapp, was born about 1702, and
married Mary Husted, daughter of An-
gell Husted.
(V) Joshua (3) Knapp, son of Jona-
than and Mary (Husted) Knapp, was
born in 1729, and married Eunice Peck,
daughter of Theophilus and Elizabeth
(Mead) Peck. The death of Joshua (3)
Knapp occurred in 1798.
(VI) Joshua (4) Knapp, son of Joshua
(3) and Eunice (Peck) Knapp, was born
in 1 761, and was a soldier of the Revolu-
tion. He married Charity Mead, daugh-
ter of Nathaniel Mead, and died in 1831.
(VII) Nathaniel Knapp, son of Joshua
(4) and Charity (Mead) Knapp, was born
February 27, 1790, in Greenwich, in the
section of the town known as Round Hill.
For many years he conducted a general
store. He served in the militia with the
rank of colonel. Mr. Knapp married
Elizabeth Close, born April 20, 1793,
daughter of Odle and Hannah (Brush)
Close, and their children were : Elizabeth,
born May 5, 1813, died in 1841 ; Odle
Close, mentioned below; Joshua, born
October 19, 1818, died June 27, 1845 ; Na-
thaniel Augustus, born February 25,
1821, died February 10, 1876; Hannah
Close, born June 4, 1823; Eunice, born
March 29, 1826, died February 23, 1847;
and Sarah Maria, born January 10, 1832,
died in June, 1848. Mr. Knapp died Janu-
ary 4, 1836, and his widow passed away
November 25, 1840.
(VIII) Odle Close Knapp, son of Na-
thaniel and Elizabeth (Close) Knapp, was
born May 26, 181 5, in Greenwich, and
succeeded his father as proprietor of the
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
store at Round Hill, being then only
eighteen years of age. He had grown
up to the business and when it became
his own, conducted it successfully for
fifty years. He was a director of the
Greenwich Trust Company, the Green-
wich Savings Bank, and the Greenwich
Fire Insurance Company.
Mr. Knapp married (first) in 1841,
Caroline B. Hobby, daughter of Guy B.
Hobby, and they became the parents of
two children : Caroline C, born Novem-
ber 28, 1843, died August 26, 1847; a°d
Joshua, born in 1846, died in 1869. Mrs.
Knapp died in 1848, and Mr. Knapp mar-
ried (second) Eunice A. Brown, whose
ancestral record is appended to this biog-
raphy. The children born of this mar-
riage were the following: Sarah, born
April 2, 1850, died January 31, 1879; Caro-
line, born November 20, 1852, married
Edward B. Reynolds, and died January
24, 1878; Anna M., born December 19,
1854, married Irving S. Balcom, a phy-
sician, and died April 19, 1891 ; Charles
O., born January 5, 1857, died January 15,
1913, in Saskatchewan; Kate Augusta,
born August 9, 1859, married Allen A.
Knapp, and is now deceased ; John F.,
born April 19, 1861, now living at Ar-
mour, South Dakota ; and Nathaniel Au-
gustus, mentioned below. Mrs. Knapp
died March 5, 1879, and Mr. Knapp mar-
ried (third) Mary A. Howland. The
death of Mr. Knapp occurred November
15, 1888. He was a member of the Con-
gregational church, a man of strong
character, and held in the highest esteem
by all to whom he was known.
(IX) Nathaniel Augustus Knapp, son
of Odle Close and Eunice A. (Brown)
Knapp, was born June 9, 1864, in Green-
wich, and received his education in local
public schools and at the Chappaqua
Mountain Institute, a Friends' private
school at Chappaqua, New York. At age
of twenty-one he began his business career
in his father's store, succeeding him as
owner of the concern and conducting it
for twenty-six years. He then sold out
and engaged in business as an auctioneer
and real estate agent, following these two
lines of endeavor until about ten years
ago.
For some years Mr. Knapp was vice-
president of the Greenwich Savings
Bank, retaining the office until the bank
went out of business. He was pres-
ident of the Greenwich Fire Insur-
ance Company until that institution was
dissolved, and is now a director of the
Greenwich Trust Company, in which his
father formerly held a directorship.
Politically, Mr. Knapp is a Republican
and has long taken an active part in com-
munity affairs. For about two years he
served as registrar of voters, and then for
four years filled the office of selectman.
In 1899 he represented his party in the
Legislature, serving on the Insurance
Committee, and proving himself the dis-
interested champion of the rights of his
constituents. He has since filled the of-
fice of selectman for two years, afterward
serving for four years as town treasurer.
In 1914 he succeeded to the office of high-
way commissioner, which he held for six
years, resigning to accept again the office
of treasurer, which he now holds.
The fraternal affiliations of Mr. Knapp
are numerous. He is past master of
Acacia Lodge, No. 85, Free and Accepted
Masons, also affiliating with Rittenhouse
Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; the Im-
proved Order of Red Men ; the Benev-
olent and Protective Order of Elks, in
which he was first exalted ruler of his
lodge ; and the Junior Order of United
American Mechanics, of which he is a
past counsellor. He is a director of the
Young Men's Christian Association, and
he and his family are members of the
.62
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Congregational church, in which he has
for years held the office of treasurer. He
was for a long period superintendent of
the Sunday school.
Mr. Knapp married, February 7, 1889,
Emma Louise Gilmore, daughter of
Thomas F. Gilmore, of New Haven, and
they are the parents of a son and a daugh-
ter: Charles Stanley, born June 5, 1893,
now house physician at Roosevelt Hos-
pital; and Anna Louise, born April 21,
1897.
The record of Nathaniel Augustus
Knapp is that of an all-round man, able
and aggressive in business, wise and far-
seeing in public affairs, and always help-
fully active in promoting the truest and
most essential interests in the life of his
community.
(The Brown Line).
(I) Peter Brown was born in England
in or about 1610, and in 1638 emigrated to
New Haven, Connecticut. About 1647
he removed to Stamford, where he passed
the remainder of his life. He married
(first) in England, Elizabeth , who
was the mother of all his children, and
(second) Unity Buxton, widow of Clem-
ent Buxton. Peter Brown died in 1658.
(II) Hackaliah Brown, son of Peter
and Elizabeth Brown, was born in 1645,
and in 1665 settled at Rye, New York.
He married (probably) Mary Hoit,
daughter of John Hoit, of Stamford and
Rye, and his death occurred in 1720.
(III) Major Hackaliah (2) Brown, son
of Hackaliah (1) and Mary (Hoit)
Brown, was born about 1695, and mar-
ried Ann Kniffen. He died in 1780, and
his will is recorded in New York county.
(IV) Nehemiah Brown, son of Major
Hackaliah (2) and Ann (Kniffen) Brown,
was born in 1726, at Greenwich, and mar-
ried Sophia Park, daughter of Roger and
Charlotte (Strang) Park. Nehemiah
Brown died May 1, 1810.
(V) Major Brown, son of Nehemiah
and Sophia (Park) Brown, was born in
1758, and was of Round Hill, Connecti-
cut. He married Ruth Mead, daughter of
Abram and Ruth (Lyon) Mead.
(VI) Abram Brown, son of Major and
Ruth (Mead) Brown, was born in 1795.
(VII) Eunice A. Brown, daughter of
Abram Brown, was born in 1822, and
became the wife of Odle Close Knapp, as
stated above.
KNAPP, Charles Whittemore,
Physician, Hospital Official.
That this is the name of one of the
leading representatives of the medical
fraternity of Greenwich a large majority
of her citizens are fully aware. In addi-
tion to the reputation which he has estab-
lished in his home city Dr. Knapp has a
war record of distinguished service
abroad.
(I) Harry Knapp, great-grandfather of
Dr. Charles Whittemore Knapp, was a
son of Samuel Knapp, and a descendant of
Nicholas Knapp, mentioned at length in
preceding sketch.
(II) Henry Cornelius Knapp, son of
Harry Knapp, married Helena Bucking-
ham, and during the greater part of his
life was a resident of New Haven, Con-
necticut.
(III) Charles Lincoln Knapp, son of
Henry Cornelius and Helena (Bucking-
ham) Knapp, was born in New Haven,
Connecticut. He graduated from the
high school of that city. As a young man
he removed to Brooklyn, New York,
where he lived many years. He became
a manufacturer of corsets and underwear,
and as long as he lived was engaged in
that business. His later years were spent
in Poughkeepsie, New York, where his
home and place of business were both
situated. Mr. Knapp married (first) Lily
Whittemore, daughter of Franklin J.
163
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Whittemore. The original home of the
\\ hittemores was in Hitchin, Hertford-
shire, England, whence Thomas Whitte-
more emigrated to Massachusetts, becom-
ing one of the early settlers of Charles-
town. Of the children born to Mr. and
Mrs. Knapp, Charles Whittemore, men-
tioned below, was the only one who
reached maturity. Mrs. Knapp passed
away in 1895. Mr. and Mrs. Knapp were
members of the Congregational church
in which Mr. Knapp was an active
worker, holding at different times various
offices. Mr. Knapp married (second)
Grace Preston, and of the children by that
marriage only one, Aletta B., is now liv-
ing. The death of Mr. Knapp occurred
in 1917.
(IV) Dr. Charles Whittemore Knapp,
son of Charles Lincoln and Lily (Whit-
temore) Knapp, was born April 10, 1885,
in New Haven, Connecticut. He was
educated in Phillips Academy, Andover,
graduating in 1904. In 1908 Yale Uni-
versity conferred upon him the degree of
Bachelor of Arts, and in 1912 he received
from the College of Physicians and Sur-
geons, New York City, the degree of Doc-
tor of Medicine. In 1913 and 1914 he
served in the Roosevelt Hospital, and he
is now an associate in medicine in the
College of Physicians and Surgeons, New
York City. In 191 5 Dr. Knapp became
a resident of Greenwich, where he has
ever since been engaged in active practice,
building up a deservedly high reputation.
His specialty is internal medicine and
pediatrics. He is a member of the staff
of the Greenwich Hospital, and holds the
office of attending physician in the Van-
derbilt Clinic, New York City.
At the time of the World War, Dr.
Knapp offered his services to the govern-
ment, and in 1918 was commissioned first
lieutenant and assigned to Camp Jackson,
South Carolina, where he remained two
months, being then assigned to Fort Ben-
jamin Harrison. He was promoted to the
rank of captain, and on October 26, 1918,
sailed for France, where for nine months
he served as chief of the Medical Service
in Brest and Tours. In May, 1919, he
was promoted to major, and in July of
that year was discharged. Among the
professional organizations in which Dr.
Knapp is enrolled are the medical so-
cieties of the City, County and State and
the American Medical Association. He
belongs to the Military Order of For-
eign Wars, the Yale Club of New York,
and the Psi Upsilon fraternity. He is
identified with the Congregational church,
his wife being a member of Christ Prot-
estant Episcopal Church.
Dr. Knapp married, May 29, 1912,
Phoebe Baker, daughter of William and
Hannah (Griffin) Baker, and they are the
parents of four children : Susan J., born
May 30, 1913 ; Nancy Buckingham, born
July 14, 1914 ; Phoebe Whittemore, born
January 16, 1916; and Jane Lincoln, born
October 24, 1918.
The career of Dr. Knapp has opened
most auspiciously. In its early years he
has made a two-fold record, a record of
honorable service both in peace and war,
and everything indicates that the years
to come hold assurance of further achieve-
ment and still more pronounced success.
KNAPP, Sylvester Livingston,
Real Estate Dealer.
No private citizen wields greater power
for or against the welfare and progress of
a community than does, to some extent,
every man to whom is committed the
custody of its real estate interests. When
any one representative of this very im-
portant factor in the development of every
town and city happens to be a man of
foresight and initiative, the future of the
164
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
community, insofar as it falls within his
own sphere of action, is fully assured.
That Mr. Knapp is this type of man no
citizen of^ Stamford needs to be told, nor
does any one require to be informed that
to business ability he joins public-spirited
zeal for the truest interests of his neigh-
bors and townsmen.
(I) Isaac Knapp, grandfather of Syl-
vester Livingston Knapp, was a native of
Stamford, Connecticut, and a farmer in
the Bangall district of the town.
(II) Joshua Knapp, son of Isaac
Knapp, was born in Stamford, Connecti-
cut. He was a farmer and a constructor
of stone fences. About fifty years ago he
built the stone fence surrounding Wood-
land Cemetery. He was a man of promi-
nence in the community, and at one time
held the office of justice of the peace. Mr.
Knapp married Mary Provost, daughter
of Samuel Provost, and sister of Henry S.
Provost, who is represented in this work
by a biography containing the Provost
genealogy.
(III) Sylvester Livingston Knapp,
son of Joshua and Mary (Provost)
Knapp, was born March 21, 1842, in Stam-
ford, Connecticut. He was educated in
the public schools of his native town.
While yet a youth he engaged in busi-
ness for himself as a general merchant
in that part of the town known as Rox-
bury. For about ten years he conducted
a successful business, at the same time
dealing in horses and carriages. His ex-
perience in this line of business, and also
that gained in a boyhood spent on a farm,
led him in the course of time to abandon
the grocery business and open a livery
establishment. It need hardly be said
that this was long before the days of
automobiles and trolley cars, and the de-
mand for vehicles to cover the territory
surrounding Stamford was large. Mr.
Knapp kept from forty to fifty head of
horses, and continuously employed from
ten to fifteen men. As a natural adjunct
he also conducted a boarding and training
stable and continued to deal in horses and
carriages. His business was carried on
in partnership with Norman Provost un-
der the firm name of Knapp & Provost
for the long period of thirty-four years,
seven months and twelve days, when the
partnership was dissolved by the death of
Mr. Provost. The business was then
closed.
On October 15, 1896, Mr. Knapp, with
two or three friends, purchased what was
known as the Gay property, the sale be-
ing made by General W. W. Skiddy.
This was surveyed and laid out in build-
ing lots, a street being cut through from
Main street to Forest street and named
by Mr. Knapp Suburban avenue. The
street was paved, sdewalks and curbing
laid, and trees planted. The house oc-
cupied by the Suburban Club now stands
on a part of this property, and almost
the entire plot is built over, making a
fine, quiet, residential district, within five
minutes' walk of the town hall. Through-
out this transaction Mr. Knapp showed
himself to be a man of vision, capable of
foreseeing the results of what he was do-
ing. He was fully aware that the prop-
erty would develop both in value and
desirability, and he built and sold many
of the residences on the land. Every
promise and prediction that he made to
purchasers has been more than fulfilled.
On September 10, 1919, Mr. Knapp was
elected president of the Grocers' Cost and
Profit Guide Company, of which he had
been one of the organizers. This com-
pany publishes a book of tables showing
at a glance just what price a merchant
must charge for any unit of measurement
of merchandise to make any desired per-
centage of profit on the selling price and
not on the cost. The record of Mr. Knapp
[65
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
speaks for itself, showing him to be be-
yond all question one of Stamford's "men
of mark," and in his portrait we see that
he looks the man he is.
The name of Sylvester Livingston
Knapp will always be remembered in
Stamford, for it is "writ large" on one of
the most attractive portions of that beau-
tiful city.
KNAPP, John H.,
Banker, Honored Citizen.
In the very early days a hilltop or
knoll was called a knapp, and it is from
this that the surname of Knapp has been
derived. It was first assumed by one
who lived near such a hill, and after the
thirteenth century came into general use
as a surname. The Knapp family has for
many generations been prominent in the
annals of Connecticut, particularly in the
affairs of Fairfield county. The first set-
tler of this branch of the family in Fair-
field county was among the leading men
of that county, and since that time each
generation has added its quota of promi-
nent and leading citizens. They have
been men who have been at the head of
the industries and the professions, as well
as foremost in the public and civic life
of the communities.
(I) Nathan Knapp, grandfather of John
H. Knapp, took part in the Revolution.
The Christian name of his wife was Sarah,
and they were the parents of John, of
whom further.
(II) John Knapp, son of Nathan and
Sarah Knapp, learned the trade of shoe-
maker, and at an early age was engaged
in business on his own account. He was
interested in all public matters, and for
a time served as captain of a militia com-
pany. Mr. Knapp married Betsey Hoyt,
who was born in Norwalk, a daughter of
Thomas Hoyt, and a descendant of a
prominent Norwalk family. Their chil-
dren were: Charles, Anson, Mary (Mrs.
Sands Reed); John H., of further men-
tion ; and Burr. All of the children are
now deceased except John H. Knapp.
(Ill) John H. Knapp, son of John and
Betsey (Hoyt) Knapp, was born in South
Norwalk, Connecticut, November 15,
1825. He was educated in the public
schools, and learned the trade of hatter,
which he followed for a few years. Re-
signing from his occupation, Mr. Knapp
engaged in business as a "Yankee ped-
dler," a kind of itinerant merchant now
rarely seen. He drove two horses at-
tached to a red wagon, carrying in the
latter all sorts of tin kitchen utensils,
brooms, etc. In those days when trans-
portation facilities were meager, the visit
of the "Yankee peddler" was most wel-
come in the rural districts. He brought
news of the outside world, as well as
needed merchandise, and as money was
not plentiful, he often bartered his goods
for farm produce. The territory covered
by Mr. Knapp was Long Island and up
the Hudson river towns as far as Albany,
as well as the towns in Southwestern
Connecticut. After about three years of
this employment, Mr. Knapp became a
clerk in New York City, and in i860, in
partnership with Edwin Ward, under the
firm name of Ward & Knapp, he engaged
in the wholesale toy business on Williams
street, New York City. They also car-
ried on a retail trade and were very suc-
cessful. Baby carriages became the most
important branch of their business. In
1875 Mr. Knapp sold his interest, having
removed to South Norwalk some years
previous. After the latter year Mr.
Knapp made his home in South Norwalk,
and as vice-president of the South Nor-
walk Savings Bank, his business interests
were there also. He has held the office
since its incorporation up to the present
166
*
pro vy
cmAAJ (jij
Wj
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
time (1921), and for years was also vice-
president of the City National Bank of
Norwalk. For thirty years Mr. Knapp
was an appraiser of the bank's properties.
In the old training days, Mr. Knapp
was a member of Mohegan Company of
Militia, holding the rank of corporal. The
home in which Mr. Knapp resides on the
top of Flax Hill, was built on the site on
which stood the house in which he was
born, and the latter house was removed
to a adjoining lot by Mr. Knapp, where
it is now occupied and is in a splendid
state of preservation.
There is no citizen in South Norwalk
more highly esteemed than Mr. Knapp.
His fine character and sunny disposition
have won him a host of friends. It is
given to very few men to live to the age
of ninety-four years, Mr. Knapp's age,
and to a much smaller number to enjoy
all their faculties in such strength that
they are able to take a keen pleasure in
following current events and to transact
business with the sound judgment and
shrewdness of successful men in the prime
of life. Mr. Knapp's hearing has failed
somewhat and his eyesight is not so good
as formerly, but there are many men of
sixty years who are worse handicapped
in these respects. His handwriting is
exceptionally legible and written with
scarcely a tremor of the hand.
Mr. Knapp married (first) Catherine
Rebecca Whitlock, daughter of Andrew
and Cornelia (Kazien) Whitlock, and
there were two children by this marriage :
Cornelia, who died in infancy ; and
Charles, who died at the age of twenty-
eight years. In 1880 Mr. Knapp married
(second) Julia Grumman, daughter of
Josiah and Mary Grumman, of Litchfield ;
before her marriage Mrs. Knapp was a
school teacher and is a splendidly edu-
cated woman of the intellectual type.
KNAPP, Alfred B.,
Business Man.
Alfred B. Knapp was born in Pound-
ridge, New York, June 20, 1854, son of
Orin and Ann Augusta (Quick) Knapp
(see Quick III). Orin Knapp was a
farmer of Poundridge. Alfred B. Knapp
attended the local public schools, assisted
his father on the home farm, and on reach-
ing manhood engaged in the milk busi-
ness independently in Springdale, Con-
necticut. Several years later the entire
family moved to that place from Pound-
ridge. In Springdale the milk business
was in its infancy, and Mr. Knapp was
entitled to the distinction of having been
one of its pioneers, having previous to his
marriage built up an extensive route. He
carried on the business for a number of
years later and then sold out in order that
he might be free to open a grocery store
under the name of Knapp & Miller, Jere-
miah Miller being the other member of
the firm. After conducting it for a con-
siderable period, he established the
Springdale Ice Company, the first con-
cern to manufacture artificial ice in
Springdale. Beginning with a five-ton
plant he built up a large business before
he retired. The plant now manufactures
twenty-two tons a day, a fact which
evinces a remarkable growth, the business
being only about six years old. Some two
years ago Mr. Knapp established a coal
and wood business as an adjunct, being
the Springdale representative of the firm
of Graves & Strong, of Stamford. Since
his death the combined concern has been
incorporated as the Springdale Ice and
Coal Company. They find a market for
their merchandise in all the suburbs of
Stamford. Mr. Knapp's business activity
extended into numerous fields. He oper-
ated a cider mill, owned a threshing
machine, widely used in the neighbor-
167
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
hood, and also engaged in contracting and
teaming. He acquired extensive real es-
tate holdings, built and sold a number of
houses, and devoted considerable of his
time to the management of his property
interests. In politics Mr. Knapp was a
Democrat, but never engaged actively in
public affairs, preferring to do his duty
as a private citizen. He affiliated with
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Mr. Knapp married, April 20, 1882, El-
len Louise Miller, daughter of Lewis B.
and Mary Louise (Bell) Miller. The
Benedicts are an old English family, trac-
ing from William Benedict, who was of
Nottinghamshire, in 1500, and whose lin-
eal descendant, Thomas Benedict, was in
Massachusetts in 1638, and later removed
to Long Island. Mrs. Miller was the
daughter of Harmon Bell. The different
branches of the Bell family emigrated
from Northern England, Scotland, and
the North of Ireland, settling in a num-
ber of the American colonies. Mr. and
Mrs. Knapp were the parents of one son,
Gilford Benedict, a sketch of whom fol-
lows. Mrs. Knapp, Sr., is a member of
Immanuel Protestant Episcopal Church.
On February 14, 1919, Mr. Knapp's use-
ful and well spent life was closed, leaving
many to mourn his loss, for he was loved
by a large circle of friends and respected
by the entire community. The narrative
of his career should be preserved, for
it teaches a lesson of sturdy self-reli-
ance, aggressive industry, and honestly
achieved success.
(The Quick Line).
(I) John Quick was a farmer of North
Salem, New York, where he died. His
wife was a Miss Tyler, and died at the
venerable age of ninety-two years.
(II) Elijah Quick, son of John Quick,
was born in North Salem, New York. He
followed the carpenter's trade. He mar-
ried Sarah Van Scoy (see Van Scoy II),
and died at the comparatively early age of
forty-four years, his death being caused
by typhoid fever. He passed away at
North Salem in 1847 or J848, and the
death of his widow occurred in January,
1 85 1. They were the parents of the fol-
fowing children, all of whom were born
in North Salem : Ann Augusta, mentioned
below; Lucinda, died in infancy; Oliver,
died in Purdy Station, New York ; Mary
Jeannette, died in Poundridge, New
York ; Eliza, died at the age of sixteen ;
Nancy, died July 16, 191 1, in Hartford,
Connecticut ; Andrew, died in Harpers
Ferry, during the Civil War; Jane; Wil-
liam Henry, died in Danbury, Connecti-
cut; and Cyrus, also died in Danbury,
about 1862.
(Ill) Ann Augusta Quick, daughter of
Elijah and Sarah (Van Scoy) Quick, was
born May 7, 1836. She became the wife
of Orin Knapp, as stated above. Mrs.
Knapp died December 31, 1899.
(The Van Scoy Line).
(I) Abraham Van Scoy was born Janu-
ary 7, 1760, in Dutchess county, New
York, and lived as a farmer in North
Salem, New York. He married Hannah
Bostwick, who was born September 21,
1778, in Bedford, New York. Mr. Van
Scoy died September 1, 1844, and the
death of his widow occurred March 30,
1851.
(II) Sarah Van Scoy, daughter of
Abraham and Hannah (Bostwick) Van
Scoy, was born January 22, 1807, and be-
came the wife of Elijah Quick (see
Quick II).
KNAPP, Gilford B.,
Business Man.
Mr. Knapp's early business life was
spent in connection with brokerage firms
of New York City's financial district, but
since 1913 he has been associated with the
[68
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
organization founded by his father, the
Springdale Ice and Coal Company. He
is well and favorably known in the local-
ity in which his business interests are
centered, and is identified with several
organizations, social and fraternal.
Gilford B. Knapp, son of Alfred B. and
Ellen Louise (Miller) Knapp (q. v.), was
born in Springdale, Connecticut, Decem-
ber ii, 1883. He attended the public
schools and Bell's Academy, of Stamford,
and completed his studes at Merrill's
Business College, of Stamford. His first
business experience was in the employ of
James D. Smith & Company, with which
firm he remained six years, and he was
subsequently for a like length of time
with Ferris & White, both brokerage
houses of New York City. During this
period he continued to reside in Spring-
dale, and in 1913 he left New York and
became associated with his father in the
management of the Springdale Ice Com-
pany. This concern afterward became
the Springdale Ice and Coal Company,
and upon the death of the elder Knapp in
1919, Gilford B. Knapp succeeded to the
presidency, a position he now fills. In
November, 1919, the company extended
its field of operation by the purchase
of the ice business of Mr. Brown, of
New Canaan, and is now supplying that
town with ice. Mr. Knapp's qualifica-
tions for the direction of his prosperous
business are those of thorough experience
in his particular line and a natural apti-
tude for affairs of business inherited from
his honored father.
Mr. Knapp is a charter member of the
Springdale Fire Company, of which Al-
fred B. Knapp was also a charter mem-
ber and organizer. His fraternal affilia-
tion is with the Junior Order of United
American Mechanics. He is an inde-
pendent Democrat in political action, the
need of the office and the desirability of
the candidate determining his vote. He
is an attendant of the Episcopal church.
FERGUSON FAMILY,
Ancestral History.
Since 1842, in which year John Fer-
guson settled in Stamford, the family has
been a prominent one in Fairfield county.
The members of the present generation
have brought distinction to the family
name throughout the State : The late John
Day Ferguson, by giving largely of his
time to public service ; Walter Ferguson,
as a banker and business man of affairs ;
the late Professor Henry Ferguson of
Trinity College, Hartford, as an educator,
and later a rector of St. Paul's School
of Concord, New Hampshire. In Stam-
ford, Connecticut, the Ferguson Library,
endowed by John Day Ferguson, will re-
main a silent testimony to the memory of
this good man for many generations to
come.
The members of the Ferguson family
have been public-spirited men, men of
cultured minds, and possessed of many
other qualities which have made their
careers worthy of emulation.
The family was founded in America by
Samuel Ferguson, who was born in Hali-
fax, County of Yorkshire, England, April
ii, 1769, and died in New York City, Au-
gust 16, 1816. He married Elizabeth Day,
a native of St. Johns Ilketshall, near Bun-
gay, County of Suffolk ; she was born
July 4, 1778, and died in New York City,
October 6, 1823.
When a young man, Samuel Ferguson
crossed the ocean to Philadelphia, and re-
mained there three or four years associ-
ated with a cousin, Robert E. Griffith,
who had preceded him to America and
who had already established himself in
business there as a merchant. That was
169
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
in the days of flourishing trade with the
Orient, and young Ferguson went to
China for his cousin as supercargo on one
of his vessels. Many of the early import-
ing merchants secured an important part
of their business training in that way.
Later, Mr. Ferguson went to New York
City and engaged in business with his
brother-in-law, John Day, with whom he
remained until his death in 1816.
John Ferguson, son of Samuel and Eliz-
abeth (Day) Ferguson, was born in New
York City, April 23, 1803, and died in
Stamford, Connecticut, September 1,
1874. He attended McCullough's cele-
brated private school at Morristown, New
Jersey. Upon the death of his father, he
was sent to live with his uncle, Edward
Ferguson, a prominent woolen merchant
of Yorkshire, England. When he became
of age, he returned to America, and took
the place in the firm of Ogden, Ferguson
& Day, vacated by the death of his father.
John Ferguson continued active in the
business until his death. Owing to the
death of various partners, changes were
made from time to time in the style of the
firm name. For some years prior to
1874, it had been J. & S. Ferguson. While
a resident of New York City, Mr. Fer-
guson was a member of Grace Episcopal
Church and served as clerk of its vestry.
In 1842 he became a resident of Stamford,
and from that time was identified with
St. John's Episcopal Church, of which he
was warden for many years. He married
Helen Grace, born in New York City,
February 22, 1807, died in Stamford, Sep-
tember 7, 1853, a daughter of Edmund
and Sarah Eliza (Walton) Morewood.
Edmund Morewood was born in Salford,
England, May 11, 1770, and died in Stam-
ford, September 17, 1861. His wife was
born in New York City in 1780, and died
there August 18, 1838. John and Helen
Grace (Morewood) Ferguson had eight
children, all of whom are deceased, ex-
cept Walton and Elizabeth Day. They
were: I. John Day, a sketch of whom
follows: 2. Sarah M.. 3. Samuel, died
from the effects of exposure in a ship-
wreck. He was associated with his father
in business in New York as long as he
lived. 4. Helen. 5. Edmund Morewood,
who was in business in Pittsburgh as an
iron and coal merchant. In his later years
he was president of the Merchants' &
Manufacturers' Bank of Pittsburgh ; he
married Josephine E. Mackintosh, and
left four children, two sons now deceased,
and two daughters. 6. Walton, a sketch
of whom follows. 7. Henry, a prominent
educator of Hartford. 8. Elizabeth Day.
FERGUSON, John Day,
Public Benefactor.
One of the most beloved citizens of
Stamford, Connecticut, John Day Fer-
guson, was born in New York City, Au-
gust 7, 1833, and died December 9, 1877,
leaving the priceless legacy of a good
name which will ever endure. Mr. Fer-
guson was a son of John and Helen Grace
(Morewood) Ferguson, and a man of
great foresight and generous nature. He
had the rare faculty of inspiring both af-
fection and respect in all with whom he
came in contact. Possessed of sufficient
means to enable him to choose the activi-
ties that appealed to him, Mr. Ferguson
devoted much of his time to furthering
the interests of education. He felt it his
duty to aid in giving to society the high,
unselfish disinterested, intelligent service
that would promote the best interests of
the community. His work as member of
the School Board did much toward estab-
lishing the Stamford Public School sys-
tem on a sound pedagogical basis. For
many years he was connected with the
School Board, and it was universally rec-
ognized among his fellow-citizens that he
was the efficient member of the board.
170
e/flcx-y, £/&?. actjlstn^s.
A/e-a^z.
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
John Day Ferguson was educated in
the private school of Rev. Robert Harris,
at White Plains, New York, and was
graduated at Trinity College, Hartford,
in 1851. He then studied law, and for
ten years was engaged in practice in New
York City. In 1866 and 1867 Mr. Fer-
guson served as representative from
Stamford in the Legislature, and from
1871 to 1874 he served as Judge of Pro-
bate.
Mr. Ferguson always considered a
public library a necessary adjunct of the
formal educational facilities of the town
and he left in his will money which, in
March, 1881, went to found the Ferguson
Library of Stamford, which was opened
to the public in January of the following
year. The location has since been
changed, being now located on Broad
street at the head of Atlantic street, and
the new building was opened September
4, 191 1. It is probably safe to say that no
library building of its size in this country
is more attractive, better lighted, or has
superior appointments.
A fitting close to the biography of this
worthy man is the following, quoted from
"Picturesque Stamford :"
He had for many years been identified with the
cause of popular education in Stamford and had
made the interests of our school system a special
study and brought to their promotion an enthusi-
asm which no discouragement could dampen. His
sagacious judgment led him always to make the
best use of attainable means while hopefully striv-
ing for better. His suavity of manner, his obvious
sincerity, and the confidence imposed in his integ-
rity always enabled him to secure an attentive
hearing in the town meetings and to exert a large
influence with the voters on behalf of the plans for
school improvements, to which he devoted so much
of his time and energy.
FERGUSON, Walton,
Leader in Community Affairs.
There are many citizens in Connecticut
of which the State has reason to be proud,
and one of these is Walton Ferguson,
scion of a distinguished family, and pres-
ident of The Stamford Trust Company.
Mr. Ferguson was born in Stamford,
July 6, 1842, and was educated at a pri-
vate school in Baltimore, and at Trinity
College. While at college he was a mem-
ber of the Psi Upsilon fraternity. Subse-
quent to his college training Mr. Fer-
guson became associated with his father
in business, becoming a member of the
firm of J. & S. Ferguson, a private bank-
ing business. Many business and finan-
cial interests have held his attention at
various times. For several years he was
in Pittsburgh associated with H. C. Frick,
in the coke business, and later, was inter-
ested in railroad, gas and electric com-
panies. Mr. Ferguson was one of the
founders of The Kings County Electric
Light and Power Company, which ab-
sorbed the Brooklyn Edison Company.
He was active in establishing The Union
Carbide Company, of which he was a
director, and was a director of The Peo-
ple's Gas Company of Chicago. Mr. Fer-
guson is now a director of The Virginia
Iron, Coal and Coke Company, the Vir-
ginia & Southwestern Railroad, and the
Detroit & Mackinaw Railroad.
Mr. Ferguson was organizer of The
Stamford Trust Company, of which he
is now the president ; he is a director of
The First-Stamford National Bank, and
chairman of the Board of Directors of The
Stamford Gas and Electric Company.
Mr. Ferguson's clubs are : Union
League ; Union ; St. Nicholas Society, and
other prominent clubs. He has always
been greatly interested in St. John's Epis-
copal Church, which he long served as
vestryman, and of which he is senior war-
den. He married Julia L., daughter of
John White, of New York City, and they
are the parents of six children, five of
whom are now living. They are: 1.
Walton, Jr., born November 28, 1870. He
171
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
attended St. Paul's School at Concord,
New Hampshire, and Trinity College, and
until recently was in the lumber business.
Walter Ferguson, Jr., married (first)
Emily Carstairs, by whom he had one
daughter, Frances, born February 12,
1900. He married (second) Dorothy
Taylor and they are the parents of two
sons: Walton, 3rd, born April 1, 1914,
and Matthew H. T. 2. Helen G., born
July 23, 1872. 3. Grace Carroll, born
January 8, 1874, married Alfred W. Dater,
a sketch of whom follows in this work.
4. Alfred L., born March 7, 1879. He
was educated at the Pomfret School,
and graduated from Yale in 1902, with a
B. A. degree. He was a member of Psi
Upsilon and Skull and Bones, and after
graduation became associated with J. & S.
Ferguson. His chief work has been as
treasurer of The Windsor Print Works
and he is vice-president of The Consoli-
dated Textile Corporation. He married
Ruth Howard of Brooklyn, New York,
and they have four children : Alfred L.,
Jr., born April 27, 1904; Carroll, born
July 6, 1908; Ruth W., born August 11,
1913 ; Charles H., born July 18, 1919. 5.
Henry Lee, born March 28, 1881 ; was
educated at Pomfret School, and gradu-
ated from the Sheffield Scientific School
in 1905, with a degree of Ph. B. He is
now manager of the Fisher's Island
Farms, and is a member of Delta Psi fra-
ternity. He married Marion Benner, and
they are the parents of three children, two
now living: Henry Lee, Jr., born March
14, 1915; Charles B., born June 30, 1918.
With his family Mr. Ferguson resides at
Fisher's Island.
DATER, Alfred Warner,
Man of Enterprise and Public-Spirit.
Alfred Warner Dater, president of the
Stamford Gas and Electric Company, and
prominently associated with many im-
portant business and industrial concerns
in Southern and Eastern Connecticut, is
one of the most progressive citizens of
Stamford, in this State, and a conspicuous
figure in the life and affairs of the com-
munity. Mr. Dater is a native of Brook-
lyn, New York, where his birth occurred
August 23, 1872, and a son of J. Henry
and Adda H. (McMurray) Dater, old
and highly respected residents of that
city. The Dater family was resident in
New York State for a number of genera-
tions, and the elder Mr. Dater was born
in the city of Troy, where he spent his
childhood and early youth. As a young
man he was engaged in several different
lines of business and while yet young
entered the employ of the firm of John
G. McMurray & Company, brush manu-
facturers, of Troy. This concern was one
of the oldest of its kind in the United
States, having been founded in the first
half of the nineteenth century, when the
industrial development of the Hudson
Valley region was yet in its infancy. In
1859 a new factory was erected to take
the place of the original plant, which had
been destroyed by fire, and was consid-
ered at that time to be the largest and
most perfectly equipped brush factory in
the world. It was engaged in the manu-
facture of a general line of bristle brushes
and for many years maintained an office
in New York City. Mr. Dater was em-
ployed by this concern for a number of
years and was finally admitted as a part-
ner and placed in charge of the sales end
of the business, having come to Brooklyn
to make his home, where his death oc-
curred in 1875. In 1855 he married, at
Lansingburg, New York, Adda H. Mc-
Murray, a daughter of John G. McMur-
ray, his old employer, who had recently
taken him into partnership. Mr. McMur-
ray, a native of New York City, was a
172
<2<f^ ft 2)2£g^r~^
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
member of an exceedingly ancient Scot-
tish family, the name belonging to that
great class of patronymics that have taken
their origin from earlier given names, the
Celtic prefix "Mac" or "Mc" signifying in
the early dialects the "son of." The Mc-
Murrays have for many generations been
associated with various communities in
both the old and new worlds and its
members have always maintained a high
place in the regard of their fellow-citizens
wherever they have resided. J. Henry
Dater and his wife were the parents of
six children, five of whom grew to ma-
turity, as follows : Mary, who became the
wife of Gardner S. Lamson, of Boston,
Massachusetts ; John G., who resides in
New York City ; William Roberts, who
died in the year 1893, at the age of twen-
ty-five ; Henry Murray ; and Alfred War-
ner, with whose career we are here
especially concerned. J. Henry Dater
was a son of Jacob Dater, a native of
Troy, New York, where he was born
about 1791, and married Mary Roberts.
During the time of his residence in Brook-
lyn he was prominent in social and re-
ligious life and was a vestryman of the
Church of the Messiah there.
Alfred Warner Dater passed his child-
hood in his native city of Brooklyn, and
received his elementary education at the
Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. Later,
he attended the Dwight School in New
York City for a year, where he completed
his preparation for college. He then
matriculated at the Sheffield Scientific
School at Yale University, and was grad-
uated from that institution with the class
of 1895, taking the degree of Ph. B. After
graduation from the Sheffield School, Mr.
Dater entered the shops of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Company, at Fort Wayne,
Indiana, as a machinist's apprentice, for
a special practical course for technical
school grades. He remained at Fort
Wayne until 1897, and then came to
Brooklyn, New York, to accept a position
as assistant general superintendent of the
Kings County Electric Light and Power
Company. Upon the consolidation of
that company with the Edison Electric
Illuminating Company, Mr. Dater was
appointed treasurer of the latter concern,
and held that responsible post until 1902.
It was in that year that Mr. Dater moved
to Stamford and became connected with
several Stamford companies, among
which was the Stamford Gas and Electric
Company. Upon the death of its treas-
urer, George H. Hoyt, Mr. Dater suc-
ceeded him in that office, and in 1917 was
elected president of the company, an of-
fice that he holds today. In 1909 Mr.
Dater removed to Williamstown, Mas-
sachusetts, and there made his home, be-
coming associated with the Windsor
Print Works of North Adams, but two
years later came to Stamford, where he
has since lived. In Stamford he was
elected vice-president and general man-
ager of the Stamford Gas and Electric
Company, and later, in 1917, became its
president. In addition to this office that
he still holds, Mr. Dater at the present
time is a director of The Stamford Sav-
ings Bank, the Stamford Water Company,
the Windsor Print Works, the Nazareth
Cement Company, of Nazareth, Pennsyl-
vania, and of other concerns. He is also
treasurer of the Stamford Children's
Home, and is prominent in charitable un-
dertakings of many kinds. He is a well
known figure in social and club circles
at Stamford. He is a member of Delta
Psi fraternity, which he joined while a
student at Yale University ; the Gradu-
ates' Club of New Haven, Suburban Club
and Woodway Country Club of Stamford,
and the Yale Club and St. Anthony Club
173
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
of New York City. He is at present
serving a second term as member of the
Stamford School Board; is president of
the local council of the Boy Scouts of
America, and a member of the National
Executive Committee of that order. Dur-
ing the participation of the United States
in the great World War, Mr. Dater
served as chairman of the local Fuel Ad-
ministration and in this capacity per-
formed an invaluable service for his fel-
low-townsman.. In his religious belief
Mr. Dater is an Episcopalian, and is a
member and vestryman of St. John's
Church of that denomination at Stam-
ford.
Alfred Warner Dater was united in
marriage, November 23, 1898, with Grace
Carroll Ferguson, a daughter of Walton
and Julia L. (White) Ferguson, old and
highly respected residents of Stamford,
a sketch of the former appearing on pre-
ceding pages of this work. Mr. and Mrs.
Dater are the parents of three children
as follows: Walton Ferguson, born Sep-
tember 10, 1899; Alfred W., Jr., born May
8, 1902; and Philip, born November 2,
I905-
Combined with splendid technical and
mechanical training, Mr. Dater possesses
an unusually natural aptitude for business
and an executive ability that enables him
to dispatch easily and quickly an im-
mense volume of work. He is the type
of business man, none too common, who
takes pains always to be gracious and
helpful to people who come in contact
with him, who are immediately put at
ease by his genial manner. Holding
steadfast the highest ideals of business
and personal conduct, with good humor
well nigh inexhaustible, he has the con-
fidence of those who are called upon to
transact business with him, and the
friendship and esteem of all who know
him.
HURLBUTT, Ambrose Spencer,
Man of Great Enterprise.
The name of Hurlbutt, which is an-
other form of Hurlbatt, is a very ancient
one, presumably of Saxon origin. It is
derived from an implement of battle, the
whirl-bat, and thus it is proved that
the family are descended from some early
warrior. The spelling of the name has
varied greatly. It has been written Hurl-
bert, Hurlburt, Hulburt, Hulburd, Hurl-
burg, Holliburt, Hollybut, Holybut,
Holybud.
(I) Among those pioneers of courage
and energy was Thomas Hurlbut (as he
and some generations of his descendants
spelled the name), early settled in the
New England Colony. He was born in
1610, and died after 1681. On August II,
1635, he left London, England, in the ship
"Bachelor," and was among those who
settled in Saybrook, Connecticut, and
while there he was a member of a party
of eleven men sent out February 22, 1637,
to burn leaves, weeds and reeds upon the
neck of land half a mile from the fort,
and while engaged in this work were
attacked by Indians. Thomas Hurlbut
was shot almost through the thigh, but
escaped. After the Pequot War, he set-
tled in Wethersfield, where he was the
first blacksmith, an occupation which he
had followed since coming to New Eng-
land. For his services in the Indian wars,
the Assembly voted him a grant of one
hundred and twenty acres of land, Octo-
ber 12, 1671. In 1640, Thomas Hurlbut
served as clerk of the train-band ; was
deputy to the General Court; juryman;
constable in 1644; collector of taxes in
1647. The Christian name of his wife was
Sarah.
(II) Thomas (2) Hurlbut, son of
Thomas (1) and Sarah Hurlbut, was
probably born in Wethersfield, Connecti-
74
^£. g. /A^f^k7'
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
cut. He learned the trade of blacksmith
from his father, and in March, 1662, was
granted land by the town on which to
build a shop. The first wife of Thomas
Hurlbut was named Lydia, and the sec-
ond wife Elizabeth.
(III) Thomas (3) Hurlbut, son of
Thomas (2) and Lydia Hurlbut, was born
about 1660, and appears to have settled
in Woodbury, Connecticut, previous to
1682. The name of his wife is not known.
(IV) Gideon Hurlbutt, son of Thomas
(3) Hurlbut, was baptized in August,
1688, and died March 9, 1757. He re-
moved to that part of Westport called
Greens Farms, two miles east of the vil-
lage. He married Margaret , and
she died February 28, 1754.
(V) Gideon (2) Hurlbutt, son of
Gjdeon (1) and Margaret Hurlbutt, was
born in Westport, Connecticut, baptized
about 1728, and died September 30, 1775.
His wife, Hannah (Taylor) Hurlbutt,
born June 1, 1731, died in 1772, daughter
of Captain John Taylor, of Westport, and
a descendant of John Taylor, who was
early in Windsor.
(VI) James Hurlbutt, son of Gideon
(2) and Hannah (Taylor) Hurlbutt, was
born November 3, 1756, in Westport, Con-
necticut, and died in Albany, New York,
January 11, 1815. He was long engaged
in the business of a merchant and also
was a builder of vessels. Mr. Hurlbutt
was among the most prominent citizens
of Westport, and also was very wealthy
for that time. For his second wife, he
married, March 18, 1781, Ann or Nancy
Hays, born October 22, 1761, died March
25, 1819, daughter of Isaac Hays, of Lew-
isboro, New York. Previous to his death
Mr. Hurlbutt removed to Albany, New
York.
(VII) Isaac Hurlbutt, son of James
and Ann or Nancy (Hays) Hurlbutt, was
born January 18, 1782, and died March
25, 1831, in Westport. He married Free-
love Nash, born March 11, 1782, died July
24, 1871.
(VIII) George Nash Hurlbutt, son of
Isaac and Freelove (Nash) Hurlbutt, was
born October 11, 1801. He married Bet-
sey Disbrow.
(IX) Ambrose Spencer Hurlbutt, son
of George Nash and Betsey (Disbrow)
Hurlbutt, was born September 2, 1825,
died September 4, 1913. Mr. Hurlbutt
was like his ancestors among the public-
spirited men of Westport. He was a
great promoter of public works, and was
one of the founders of the Central Na-
tional Bank, of Norwalk, now the Central
Trust Company. He was also a founder
of the Willowbrook Cemetery, and was
president of the association from its or-
ganization until his death. He was one
of those who made a fortune in the gold
fields of California in 1849. With a part-
ner, he invested in timber lands in that
State, the property including a large part
of the present site of the city of San Fran-
cisco. They sold their holdings and he
retired East in 1868, a millionaire. Every
matter pertaining to the welfare of the
public held his attention ; he was the first
to advocate the building of the old horse
car system in Westport, and later was
largely instrumental in getting the trolley
line through the town. He served as the
first president of the Street Railway Com-
pany, and was also president of the Dan-
bury & Norwalk Railroad Company. At
the time of his death, Mr. Hurlbutt was
a director of the Westport Library and
had been active in the work of this li-
brary for many years. At his death the
town of Westport lost one of its most
useful and valued citizens.
Mr. Hurlbutt married, in November,
i860, Cornelia Doughty Kelsey, daughter
of John Burnett and Delia (Conger)
Kelsey.
175
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Mr. and Mrs. Hurlbutt were the parents
of the following children: I. Mary E.,
wife of Edward B. Mohler, of Baltimore,
and mother of Mary H. Mohler. 2. Horace
Carpenter, married Liela, and had a son,
Horace C. ; the latter enlisted and served
about two years in France, and after his
return home was killed in an automobile
accident in 1918. 3. Frederick Wood,
married Martha M. Boyd, and resides in
Atlantic City. 4. Ambrose Spencer, Jr.,
married Maude Mills, of Baltimore, and
died in 1914, leaving no children. 5. Cor-
nelia Kelsey, married Frank C. Coley, of
Xew Haven ; they have three children :
Ambrose Hurlbutt, James Edward, Cor-
nelia Kelsey. 6. Helen, married William
Ridge Allen, and resides in Richmond,
Massachusetts.
John Burnett Kelsey, father of Cornelia
D. (Kelsey) Hurlbutt, was born in Sparta,
New Jersey, January 17, 1797, died Jan-
uary 3, 1885. He was a son of Jabez and
Sarah (Corwin) Kelsey. While yet in
his boyhood, John B. Kelsey went to live
with his uncle in Flanders, New Jersey,
and remained there until he was about
eighteen years old. Then he removed to
Randolph to learn the shoemaker's trade.
He married, April 7, 1821, Delia Conger,
born July 13, 1803, and died September
30, 1880, daughter of David and Elizabeth
(Ayres) Conger. Previous to his mar-
riage, Mr. Kelsey removed to New Or-
leans, but remained there only a year. In
the fall of 1824, he removed with his wife
to East Tennessee, remaining until the
spring of 1826. In 1859, tney yielded to
the solicitations of their five children in
California and went out there. Four
years later they returned and spent the re-
mainder of their lives in Rockaway, New
Jersey. Mr. Kelsey was never a man of
great physical strength, but he possessed
a constitution of great vitality and re-
cuperative power, and by his temperate
habits and attention to the laws of health
he lived beyond the three score years and
ten allotted by the Psalmist, dying of old
age. One who knew him well said :
The life just closed was singularly complete in
all its aspects. In his simple faith and humble
walk with God, in his domestic happiness and
prosperity, his great age and numerous descend-
ants, we see a striking resemblance to the life of
the Patriarchs, as they are depicted in the Old
Testament. * * * His immediate descendants
(at the time of his death) are fifteen children,
sixty-seven grandchildren, twenty great-grandchil-
dren, one hundred and two in all. His piety was
of the Biblical type — a simple earnest faith, al-
ways held in meekness and sometimes with fear
and much trembling.
Mrs. Delia (Conger) Kelsey was a
woman noted for her good, clear, com-
mon sense, correct judgment, and great
decision of character. She was a woman
of indomitable resolution, of tireless en-
ergy and industry. She became a member
of the Rockaway church, and was a strong
Christian.
HURLBUTT, Lewis Raymond,
Manufacturer.
As a member of the long-established
and widely known firm of Lounsbury,
Mathewson & Company, formerly Louns-
bury Brothers & Company, Mr. Hurlbutt
has long occupied a leading position in the
business world of South Norwalk. He is
also allied with the financial interests of
his city and is a figure of prominence in
her fraternal and social circles.
(IV) Thomas (4) Hurlbutt, son of
Thomas (3) Hurlbut (q. v.), was bap-
tized in December, 1684, in Woodbury,
Connecticut. He is supposed to have
lived in Wilton, Connecticut, where he
owned land. He was chosen, with others,
by Wilton parish, in 1735, "to lay out a
highway to the Ridge." The name of his
wife is unknown.
176
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
(V) Daniel Hurlbutt, son of Thomas
(4) Hurlbutt was born, probably, as early
as 1710, in Woodbury, Connecticut, and
his death occurred in Wilton. He mar-
ried Belden.
(VI) Daniel (2) Hurlbutt, son of Dan-
iel (1) and (Belden) Hurlbutt,
was born in 1740, in Wilton, where he fol-
lowed the trade of a weaver. During the
Revolutionary War he was captain of a
militia company. His name, in Wilton
records, is generally written Holybert.
He married (first) Naomi Stuart, who
died in July, 1764. He married (second)
March 20, 1765, Esther Patrick, daughter
of John Patrick. Captain Hurlbutt died
in Wilton, February 14, 1827, and his
widow passed away July 2, 1839, at tne
venerable age of ninety-two years.
(VII) John Hurlbutt, son of Daniel (2)
and Esther (Patrick) Hurlbutt, was born
October 14, 1778. He was a farmer in
Wilton. He married, in 1809, in Weston,
Connecticut, Elizabeth Ogden, born in
that place, July 18, 1785, daughter of
Joseph and Rachel Ogden, who resided
there.
(VIII) William Bradley Hurlbutt, son
of John and Elizabeth (Ogden) Hurlbutt,
was born April 3, 181 5, in Wilton, where
he was reared on a farm. After receiving
a common school education, he was em-
ployed in the old Gilbert & Bennett wire
cloth factory. Some years later he aban-
doned that work in order to engage in
the cultivation of a farm which had been
his home from the time of his marriage.
He married, October 4, 1838, Paulina
Hurlburt, born February 25, 1821, in Wil-
ton, daughter of John Hurlburt, and
granddaughter of David Hurlburt, of
Ridgefield, Connecticut, and undoubtedly
a member of another branch of the Hurl-
butt family.
(IX) Lewis Raymond Hurlbutt, son of
William Bradley and Paulina (Hurlburt)
Conn-8— 12 I
Hurlbutt, was born August 23, 1851, in
Wilton, Connecticut, and received his ed-
ucation in schools of his birthplace. For
a number of years he filled the position of
clerk in a store in Georgetown, and then
entered the office of the firm of Louns-
bury Brothers & Company. This widely
known commercial house was founded
more than half a century ago by George
E. and Phineas C. Lounsbury, two broth-
ers of distinguished ancestry, both of
whom filled with honor the high office
of governor of the State of Connecticut.
Biographies of the brothers appear else-
where in this work. The business of the
firm was the manufacture of shoes, the
factory being first situated in New Haven
and later removed to South Norwalk,
when the style was changed to Louns-
bury, Mathewson & Company. Thence-
forth the business developed more rap-
idly in consequence of enlarged facilities
and finer equipment. For the superiority
of its product and the integrity which
characterized all its dealings the firm be-
came as the years went on, increasingly
noted. It has always manufactured
women's shoes only, and the product is
sold direct to the retailer. The territory
covered by the company's salesmen em-
braces the entire United States, and the
number of employees amounts to three
hundred and ten. For several years Mr.
Hurlbutt, in addition to partnership in
the firm, has held the position of manager,
and to his skillful methods, clear fore-
thought, and wisely directed aggressive-
ness are to be attributed, in no small
measure, the substantial success and con-
stantly increasing scope of the business.
While never found lacking in public
spirit, Mr. Hurlbutt has always refrained
from active participation in politics, pre-
ferring to exercise in a very quiet way the
privileges of citizenship, and to perform
in the same unobtrusive manner the duty
77
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
he owes to his community. He is a di-
rector of the City National Bank, of South
Norwalk, and the South Norwalk Sav-
ings Bank. He affiliates with Ark Lodge,
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of
Wilton, and with Cannon Grange, Pa-
trons of Husbandry, also of that town.
His only club is the South Norwalk Coun-
try. In the Methodist Episcopal church
of Wilton he holds the office of trustee.
The long record of Mr. Hurlbutt, both
as a business man and a citizen, is one of
honorable effort, faithful service, and un-
blemished integrity. He has been in the
best sense of the word a truly successful
man.
FERRIS, Theodore Isaac,
Business Man.
From the earliest settlement of Fairfield
county, Connecticut, the name of Ferris
has been an honored one in that State.
The ancestors of this family belonged to
the liberty loving class that played an
important part in the early settlement of
New England. The name of Ferris bears
an enviable reputation for enterprise and
public spirit. Through every branch of
this family are found men prominent in
the settlement, government, and military
history of their country.
The Ferris family is of Norman origin,
the name being originally spelled Ferier
or Ferrerr. It is derived from Ferian, to
convey across, and was early given to one
dwelling near a ferry or to the keeper of
the ferry. The first of the family in Eng-
land was Henry de Ferier, son of Gual-
chelme de Ferier, master of the horse of
William the Conqueror, the Duke of Nor-
mandy, who obtained grants of land in
the counties of Staffordshire, Derbyshire,
and Leicestershire. It is said of this
Henry that William the Conqueror rode
up to him on the battle field, took from
his own neck a gold chain, and throwing
it over Henry de Ferier's head said : "You
fight too fiercely, I must chain you up."
From him are descended the Ferrers, of
Groby, who bore for their paternal arms
the following:
Arms — Gules, seven mascles or, a canton ermine.
Their Westchester descendants carried-.
Arms — Gules, a fleur-de-lis or, a canton ermine
with a crescent.
The arms of the father of Henry de Fer-
ier were :
Arms — Argent, six horseshoes, pierced sable.
(I) Jeffrey Ferris, born in Leicester-
shire, England, about 1610, came to Amer-
ica in 1634, and is by record first located
in Watertown, Massachusetts, where he
was made freeman, May 6, 1635. He
came with the first settlers, and is on the
list of those who paid for the survey, and
received ten acres of the first assignment
of land. From Watertown he removed
to Wethersfield, Connecticut, where he is
recorded as selling his lot of forty-five
acres to John Deming. He came with the
first Stamford colony from Wethersfield
in 1 64 1, and lived on the north side of
what is now Broad street, west of Frank-
lin street. Later he moved to Greenwich,
Connecticut, where he died May 31, 1666.
In 1656 he was one of the eleven Green-
wich men who petitioned to be under New
Haven jurisdiction. He was one of the
original purchasers of land which now
forms the town of Greenwich. He was
married three times. According to tra-
dition, his first wife was Ann, the sister
of John Milton, the blind poet, and daugh-
ter of John and Sarah (Jeffrey) Milton.
"Stamford Registrations" says: "Wife to
Jeffrey, died 31st, 5th, 1658." Also, "Su-
sanna, wife (who was the widow of
Robert Lockwood), married, 1659, died
at 'Grinwich,' December 23, 1660."
178
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
(II) James Ferris, son of Jeffrey Fer-
ris, was born about 1643. He married
Mary . He is named in the patent
granted to the town of Greenwich by the
General Assembly, in May, 1665. He
died November 6, 1726.
(III) James (2) Ferris, son of James
(1) and Mary Ferris, was born December
18, 1699, in Greenwich, Connecticut, and
died August 17, 1739. The Christian
name of his wife was Mary, and they were
the parents of James (3), mentioned
below.
(IV) James (3) Ferris, son of James
(2) and Mary Ferris, was born about
1732, in Greenwich, Connecticut, and died
May 27, 1810. He was called "old Whig,"
and was captain of a company in the Rev-
olution. He paid this company and fed
them out of his own pocket. Captain
Ferris was taken prisoner by the British
and wore a double-breasted coat having
skirt behind with many buttons, every
one of which was a gold guinea covered
with cloth. When he wanted anything
he secretly cut off a button, and the source
of his money was a constant cause of
wonderment to the British. The sword
which he carried is now in the possession
of his descendant, Theodore I. Ferris, of
this review. He married, and was the
father of Asa, mentioned below.
(V) Asa Ferris, son of James (3) Fer-
ris, was born in Greenwich, Connecticut,
1769, and died in Stamford, Connecticut,
May 27, 1839, aged seventy years and
eleven days. He followed agriculture and
was a well respected citizen of Greenwich
until 181 5, when he moved to Stamford,
and purchased a farm in the Simsbury
district. He married, March 21, 1799,
Polly Hoyt, born May 26, 1773, died May
2, 1840, aged sixty-six years, eleven
months and seven days, daughter of Silas
and Sarah (Lockwood) Hoyt (see
Hoyt V).
(VI) Silas Hoyt Ferris, son of Asa and
Polly (Hoyt) Ferris, was born January 15,
1800, in Greenwich, Connecticut, and died
February 25, 1880, in Stamford. The local
schools of Greenwich afforded his educa-
tion, and he followed agriculture through-
out his lifetime. He married Charlotte
Elizabeth Barnum, born July 7, 1808, in
Stamford, died there August 20, 1893,
daughter of David and Betsey (Hoyt)
Barnum. David Barnum died April i,
1838, aged forty-nine years, seven months.
Mrs. Betsey (Hoyt) Barnum was a
granddaughter of Isaac and Mary (Skeld-
ing) Hoyt, and daughter of their son,
Isaac (2) Hoyt, who was born August 14,
1767, and died June 9, 1826. He married,
May 23, 1788, Elizabeth Hait, born Sep-
tember 8, 1765, died December 23, 1835,
daughter of Silvanus and Elizabeth Hait.
Isaac (2) Hoyt was a grandson of Abra-
ham Hait, mentioned in the previous
Hoyt line, and a descendant of Simon
Hait, the emigrant, as shown in that line.
Mr. and Mrs. Ferris were the parents of
the following children : David Barnum,
born January 2, 1839, died October 4,
1903 ; Sarah Elizabeth, born July 12, 1841,
died June 23, 1897; Silas Hoyt, born Oc-
tober 10, 1844, died July 18, 1897; Theo-
dore Isaac, mentioned below.
(VII) Theodore Isaac Ferris, youngest
child of Silas Hoyt and Charlotte Eliza-
beth (Barnum) Ferris, was born May 24,
1847, in Stamford, Connecticut. He at-
tended the district school in the Simsbury
district of Stamford and the Stamford
High School. These courses were sup-
plemented by a few terms at the Glenden-
ning Academy, conducted by Professor
George B. Glendenning, and a noted
school at that time. The paternal home-
stead has continued to be the home of
Mr. Ferris throughout these many years,
and he engaged in farming on an exten-
sive scale. As the surrounding country
179
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
grew, and houses were built more closely
together, Mr. Ferris became interested in
real estate. With his brother, Silas H.
Ferris, he laid out Woodside Park, build-
ing attractive driveways and approaches.
A half mile race track was also built and
this site has been the scene of many pleas-
ant hours ; pleasant for the nature lover
as well as the devotee of racing. The
business of real estate in one form or an-
other has occupied the greater part of Mr.
Ferris's time, and he now has large and
important real estate holdings. His resi-
dence with its spacious grounds has a
location unexcelled in Stamford, where
Ferrises have lived from early Colonial
days. Although Mr. Ferris has never
taken an active part in municipal affairs,
he has that interest which is at the heart
of every good citizen. He bears the name
of his family worthily and well, and ranks
deservedly high in both business and fi-
nancial circles.
(The Hoyt Line).
(I) Mrs. Polly (Hoyt) Ferris was a di-
rect descendant of Simon Hait, who is
believed to have come in the "Abigail" or
the "George." He was in Charlestown,
Massachusetts, among the first settlers,
and was a first settler of Dorchester, that
State, in 1630. Thence he removed to
Scituate, Massachusetts, and from there
to Windsor, Connecticut. His son, Ben-
jamin, is mentioned below.
(II) Benjamin Hait, son of Simon
Hait, was born February 2, 1644, and died
January 26, 1735. He served as fence
viewer and surveyor, and was a member
of the Board of Selectmen in Windsor.
He married (first) January 5, 1670, Han-
nah Weed, born about 1645, died Novem-
ber 9, 1677, daughter of Jonas Weed.
(III) Benjamin (2) Hait, son of Ben-
pamin (1) and Hannah (WTeed) Hait, was
born December 9, 1671, and died in 1747.
He lived in Stamford, and was selectman
four years. He married, June 10, 1697,
Elizabeth Jagger, and they were members
of the South Congregational Church.
(IV) Abraham Hait, son of Benjamin
(2) and Elizabeth (Jagger) Hait, was
born June 16, 1704, and died March 16.
1788. He was called sergeant as early as
1754, and in 1763 served as selectman. He
married (first) November 27, 1727, Han-
nah Bates, and they were members of the
church in Stamford. He married (second)
June 3, 1748, Hannah Blachley. The old
house that he and his family inhabited is
still (1920) standing on the east side of
Bedford street, opposite Oak street, owned
by Theodore Isaac Ferris, a descendant.
Children of Abraham Hait are: 1. Han-
nah, born December 25, 1730, married a
St. John. 2. Abraham, born October 13,
1732, died August 20, 1745. 3. Isaac, born
September 14, 1734, died 1778; married
(first) August 5, 1761, Mary Skelding,
(second) May 22, 1768, Sarah Hait; he
was the grandfather of the mother of The-
odore I. Ferris, as previously mentioned.
4. Ezra, born April 23, 1737. 5. Silas,
born March 2, 1739, died January 9, 1825.
6. Sarah, born February 3, 1741, married
John Holmes. 7. Thaddeus, born Janu-
ary 26, 1743, married Hannah Holmes;
he fought in General Washington's forces
in the Revolutionary War. 8. Rachel,
born August 7, 1745, died September 9,
1745. 9. Mary, born August 22, 1750,
died November 17, 1754. 10. Bates, born
July 7, 1754, died September 4, 1776;
when the English began the military op-
erations in August, 1776, which resulted
in their capture of New York City, the
Ninth Regiment of Connecticut, in which
was Captain Webb's company, of Stam-
ford, marched to New York and was
quartered on Broadway near Trinity
Church. Bates was sergeant of this com-
pany and Silas and Thaddeus were pri-
180
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
vates. At the battle of Long Island, near
Jamaica, August 27, 1776, Bates was
wounded and died September 4, 1776. On
one occasion, one of the sons of Abraham
Hait, was taken prisoner in the old home,
having been tracked to that refuge by
blood from his wounds in the snow. This
old home is one of the few houses in the
locality dating to pre-Revolutionary
times.
(V) Silas Hoyt, son of Abraham and
Hannah (Bates) Hait, was born March
2, 1739, died January 9, 1825. He mar-
ried, November 14, 1765, Sarah Lock-
wood, and they were the parents of Polly
Hoyt, who became the wife of Asa Ferris
(see Ferris V).
FERRIS, Clarence Clark,
Attorney, Public Official.
A sound lawyer, and with skill and
ability to meet the demands of the day,
Clarence C. Ferris is also a direct de-
scendant of one of the early Colonial fam-
ilies of Connecticut. The Ferris family is
of Norman origin, the name being origi-
nally spelled Feriers or Ferrers.
(III) Samuel Ferris, son of James and
Mary Ferris (q. v.), was born September
21, 1706, and died April 25, 1786. He
married Ann Lockwood, daughter of Ger-
shom and Mary Lockwood, born in 1713,
died July 2, 1789.
(IV) Stephen Ferris, son of Samuel
and Ann (Lockwood) Ferris, was born
December 27, 1740, and died February 12,
1824. He married Sarah H. Lockwood,
who died November 23, 1848.
(V) Samuel (2) Ferris, son of Stephen
and Sarah H. (Lockwood) Ferris, was
born January 25, 1787, and died June 1,
1842. He was captain of militia in the
War of 1812, and took his company to the
beach at Old Greenwich, now called
Sound Beach, when invasion by the Brit-
ish was feared. On January 7, 181 1, he
married Esther Ferris, born October 12,
1792, died March 11, 1881, daughter of
Nathaniel Ferris.
(VI) Samuel Holmes Ferris, son of Sam-
uel (2) and Esther (Ferris) Ferris, was
born December 12, 1827, and died Decem-
ber 25, 1888. He was a farmer throughout
his lifetime and a very public-spirited citi-
zen. In association with the late Amasa A.
Marks, Mr. Ferris was a leading spirit in
securing the appropriation of money to
build a new school house at Sound Beach,
about 1877. Mr. Ferris married, Decem-
ber 19, 1 861, Mary Clark, daughter of
Daniel Clark, of Haddam ; she was born
April 16, 1838, and died October 15, 1886.
Their children were : Harry Burr, and
Clarence Clark, of whom further.
(VII) Clarence Clark Ferris, son of
Samuel Holmes and Mary (Clark) Ferris,
was born February 15, 1864, and prepared
for college at the Claverack Academy, and
Hudson River Institute, Claverack, Co-
lumbia county, New York, under the well
known Dr. Alonzo Flack, an educator of
great individuality, and Professor Wil-
liam McAfee, Yale College, class of 1864.
In 1887 Mr. Ferris graduated from Yale
College with the degree of B. A., and in
1892 from Columbia University with the
degree of LL. B. After graduation in
1887, Mr. Ferris was principal of the pub-
lic schools of Colchester, Connecticut,
holding a similar position in Manchester,
Connecticut, the following year. In 1891
he was admitted to the bar in New York
and has always practiced alone. Mr.
Ferris specializes in condemnation pro-
ceedings and has made a signal success in
his chosen field.
Always keenly interested in public mat-
ters, although not coming from an office-
holding family, he has taken part in civic
affairs in his adopted town, Scarsdale,
Westchester county, New York. In poli-
181
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
tics he is a Democrat, and in 1916 was a
candidate for the New York Senate from
Westchester county, running an average
of two thousand votes ahead of the rest
of the ticket. He is a member of the
National Democratic Club of New York
City, and maintains his residence in Scars-
dale, Westchester county. With his
brother, Professor Harry Burr Ferris, of
New Haven, Mr. Ferris owns fifty-six
acres of the original farm granted to their
ancestor and which is now under lease to
the Sound Beach Golf and Country Club.
While at Columbia University, Mr.
Ferris became a member of the Delta Up-
silon fraternity, and is also a member of
Delta Phi, the legal fraternity having
chapters in most law schools.
Mr. Ferris married Bertha Vincent
Odell, daughter of Edward Valentine
Odell, the latter born in Hyde Park,
Dutchess county, but Mrs. Ferris was
born in New York City. Mr. and Mrs.
Ferris are the parents of the following
children : Richard Odell, born September
14, 1914; and Jeffrey, born June 20, 1916.
Mr. Ferris and his family attend the Pres-
byterian church of Scarsdale.
(The Lockwood Line).
Robert Lockwood came to New Eng-
land about 1630, and settled in Water-
town, Massachusetts. He was admitted
a freeman March 9, 1636-37. As early as
1641 he was recorded a settler in Fair-
field, Connecticut, and died in 1658. For
a time he lived at Norwalk, Connecticut.
His wife was Susannah, and they were the
parents of Lieutenant Gershom Lock-
wood, of whom further.
Lieutenant Gershom Lockwood was
born September 6, 1643, at Watertown,
and died March 12, 1718-19, at Greenwich.
He was nine years of age when he re-
moved to Greenwich wifh his father and
became one of the twenty-seven propri-
etors. By occupation he was a carpenter,
and also held many positions of trust in
the town. Lieutenant Lockwood married
Lady Ann Millington, daughter of Lord
Millington, of England. She came to
New England in search of her lover, a
British army officer. Failing to find him,
she taught school and afterwards married
Gershom Lockwood. In 1660 her parents
sent her a large oak chest, ingeniously
carved and strongly built. Tradition says
it contained a half-bushel of guineas,
many fine silk dresses and other valu-
ables. This chest is now in the possession
of Clarence Clark Ferris, of Greenwich.
A photograph of the chest may be seen
in "History of the Lockwood Family,"
also in "Colonial Furniture," by Luke
Vincent Lockwood. The only part of the
story open to question is the amount of
guineas the chest contained. The grand-
mother of Mr. Ferris was sure the rest of
the story was true.
Gershom (2) Lockwood, the eldest son
of Lieutenant Gershom and Ann Lock-
wood, was born in Greenwich, and was
made a freeman February 7, 1693. He
married Mary, and their daughter, Ann
Lockwood, became the wife of Samuel
Ferris, as above noted.
SKIDDY, William Wheelright,
Manufacturer, Philanthropist.
In recent years the struggle for busi-
ness supremacy has narrowed the horizon
of too many men. Here and there men
stand out from among the multitude,
frankly opening their hearts and minds to
the broad, general interests which lift so-
ciety from the level of the sordid and place
it on a higher plane.
William W. Skiddy believes that the
surest way to advance the welfare of the
individual is to aid the individual to un-
derstand and accept the mental, moral and
182
■
..-'■-
e)/fcCo£^C,
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
spiritual standards of the community. In
his own way, he is constantly acting upon
this theory.
The family name became Skiddy
through William W. Skiddy's father,
whose name was properly William Tay-
lor, adopting for his surname "Skiddy"
as hereinafter stated.
The founding of this family in this
country dates back to three brothers
in Scotland, Zachariah, John and Wil-
liam. Zachariah Taylor, the original
ancestor of Zachary Taylor, twelfth
president of the United States, came to
this country and went to Culpepper, Vir-
ginia. John Taylor went to Albany, New
York. William Taylor resided in New
York City. William Taylor married a
Miss Van Pelt, known as one of the
Knickerbockers, descendants of the Hol-
landers. Miss Van Pelt was the daughter
of Teunisse Van Pelt, who immigrated
from Leige in 1663, with his father. They
had three daughters and one son, Richard,
who graduated from Yale, and one daugh-
ter married Judge Kent, of New York.
William Taylor took the oath of alle-
giance in 1687, his name appearing on
various records. In 1674 he received a
grant of land on Staten Island, consisting
of ninety-eight acres.
Benjamin Taylor, a son of William
Taylor, was in the Colonial-English
army in 1753 or 1754, and was in the cam-
paign against the French and Indians at
Fort Duquesne. He was captured and
taken to Quebec as a prisoner, later sent
to France with other prisoners and con-
fined in prison in Havre de Gras, and re-
turned to America about 1762. Benjamin
Taylor was buried in the Methodist Cem-
etery in Johnville, Fishkill, New York,
the tombstone giving his death as of Sep-
tember 12, 1831, at the age of ninety-four
years. About 1763 he married, at Ver-
planck's Point, Jemima Foster, daughter
of Ebenezer and Desire (Cushman) Fos-
ter. Benjamin Taylor's sons were James,
of further mention ; Augustus ; and Jus-
tus, of further mention.
James Taylor was born in Peekskill,
New York, and as a young man entered
the Continental army and was with Gen-
eral Washington at Valley Forge. He
later married Salome Partridge, and went
to Westford, Vermont. They had four-
teen children, but two died in infancy.
The others were : Lucius, Benjamin, Isa-
bella, James and Foster, born in Mas-
sachusetts ; Salome, Amos, Amelita, and
Alpha born in Peekskill ; Augustus, Eliza-
beth Lent and William Skiddy, born in
Westford, Vermont. His youngest son,
William Skiddy Taylor, married a Miss
Depew, of Peekskill, and later went
West, where he died.
The descent of the Foster family has
been traced back to the year 837 in Flan-
ders, showing a descendancy line of
twenty-three generations up to Reginald,
who embarked for America in 1638. The
ancestor of this branch of the family was
John Foster, born in England, 1626. He
came over with Roger Conant and landed
at Plymouth, Massachusetts. He be-
came a freeman, May 24, 1682, and died
in March, 1688. About 1649, he married
Martha Tomkins, a daughter of Ralph
and Katherine (Aborn) Tomkins, who
was born about 1630. Their son, the Hon.
John Foster, was born in 1649. He lived
in Salem, where he was one of the most
prominent citizens. He served as moder-
ator, representative and justice of the
peace. John Foster married, in 1672,
Mary Stuard. She died about 1690, and
he died in 1714. Their son, Major Foster,
was born November 15, 1680, in Salem.
On December 4, 1704, Major Foster mar-
ried, in Roxbury, Margaret Ware, and
their son, Ebenezer Foster, married De-
sire Cushman, a descendant of Robert
183
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Cushman ; and their daughter, Jemima,
born July 6, 1741, married, at Verplanck's
Point, Benjamin Taylor, as already
stated.
The Cushman descent is as follows :
Robert Cushman, the ancestor of all the
Cushmans in the United States, was born
in England between the years 1580 and
1585. He was a Puritan, and a member of
the church of Rev. John Robinson, who
emigrated to Holland during the years
1607 and 1608. After residing in Amster-
dam about a year they removed to Ley-
den, where during the succeeding years
the congregation grew to about three hun-
dred communicants. In 1617 Robert
Cushman and Deacon John Carver were
selected to go to London and open ne-
gotiations with the Virginia Company
for liberty to settle in North America, and
"to see if the King would give them lib-
erty of conscience there." The history of
those negotiations is familiar to all. They
found their mission a difficult one, but
after great procrastination and long and
tedious negotiation, a patent was finally
obtained by which they were permitted
to settle in America. As it finally turned
out, this patent was never used, but the
Pilgrims were determined to emigrate to
America. Friends finally supplied the fi-
nancial aid necessary. Deacon Carver
and Robert Cushman were sent to Eng-
land to receive the money and provide for
the voyage. Again the delays were many
and vexatious. The "Speedwell" was ob-
tained in Holland, a ship of only sixty
tons, smaller than the average fishing
smack that goes to the Grand Banks. In
the meantime, Robert Cushman had hired
in London a larger vessel, the "May-
flower," of about one hundred and eighty
tons, and had sent her to Southampton to
meet his comrades from Holland. When
the two vessels sailed from Southampton,
August 5, 1620, Robert Cushman and his
family were among the passengers, but
when it was decided that the "Speedwell"
should be abandoned, the Cushmans,
greatly disappointed, were among the
number returned to London because the
"Mayflower" could not carry the entire
party. In London, Robert Cushman
acted as the agent of the Pilgrims who
had emigrated, and as a leader of those
who had been compelled to remain be-
hind. The following year Robert Cush-
man secured the "Fortune," a small ves-
sel of fifty tons, and a party of thirty-six,
including the Cushmans, set sail for
America, arriving off Cape Cod, Novem-
ber 9, 1621. Robert Cushman remained
in the colony only about a month, it be-
ing necessary for him to return to Eng-
land to look after business affairs of the
colony. He was allotted an acre of land
in the first allotment which was made in
1623, but at that time was in England and
was destined not to return to America.
In 1623, in connection with Edward
Winslow. Robert Cushman negotiated the
charter for the settlement of what is
now Gloucester, Massachusetts. Robert
Cushman died in January or February,
1625. He "was one of the most distin-
guished characters among the collection
of worthies who quitted England on ac-
count of their religious difficulties." "He
was one of the first movers and main
instruments of the Puritan dissent of
England, their pilgrimage to Holland, and
their final settlement in America," and
history has given him a high place among
the leaders of the Pilgrim Fathers.
Elder Thomas Cushman, born in Eng-
land in February, 1608, accompanied his
father to America. He was left in the
care of Governor Bradford when his fa-
ther returned to England. On January 1,
1633, Thomas Cushman was admitted to
the freedom of the society. He served as
juryman in 1635, and in that year, or
184
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
1636, he married Mary, the third child of
Isaac Allerton, who came in the "May-
flower." In 1637 he received a grant of
land and later he removed to what is now
Kingston, where he spent the remainder
of his life. In 1645 ne purchased Princess
farm. In 1649 ^e was appointed ruling
elder of the church in Plymouth, and con-
tinued in the office until his death. He
was the principal witness to Governor
Bradford's will, and inventoried his estate.
Thomas Cushman died December 10 or
11, 1 69 1. From the records of the First
Church at Plymouth, the following quota-
tion is made : " * * * He was grave,
sober, holy and temperate, very studious
and solicitous for the peace and prosperity
of the church and to prevent and heale all
breaches." He left quite an estate for
those days, indicating that he was pros-
perous and thrifty. After the dismissal
of Rev. Mr. Rayner, in 1654, and until the
settlement of Rev. Mr. Cotton, in 1657,
he conducted the religious services twice
on every Sunday, and during that time
was the only preacher the church had.
He was a participant in the making of the
first treaty with Massachusetts and Sam-
oset. Mary (Allerton) Cushman, his
wife, was about eleven years of age when
she came over in the "Mayflower." She
was the last survivor of the Pilgrim band,
dying seven or eight years after her hus-
band, at the advanced age of ninety years.
They reared a family of seven children,
all of whom married.
Thomas Cushman, the third in this line
of descent, was born September 16, 1637.
On November 17, 1664, he married Ruth,
daughter of John Howland, whose name
was thirteenth on the list of forty-one
persons who signed the memorable com-
pact in the cabin of the "Mayflower." At
that time he was twenty-eight years of
age. Thomas Cushman was during a
long life a member of the Congregational
church in Plympton. He died August 23,
1726.
Samuel Cushman, son of Thomas Cush-
man, was born July 16, 1687. He mar-
ried Fear Corser, December 8, 1709. They
were members of the church in Plympton.
In 1727 they removed to Attleboro. Their
eldest child was Desire Cushman, born
September 18, 1710. On September 17,
1730, she married Ebenezer Foster, who
was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts,
August 20, 1709. Their daughter was
Jemima Foster, born July 6, 1741, who
married Benjamin Taylor.
Justus Taylor, the youngest son of Ben-
jamin and Jemima (Foster) Taylor, was
the owner of a vessel trading between
New York and West Indies. On a trip
to the latter place he contracted yellow
fever, was brought back to Peekskill, New
York, but never recovered, and died and
was buried there. His widow, who was
formerly Rosetta Place, subsequently
married Captain John Skiddy, and when
she married Captain Skiddy she had one
son, William.
Captain William (Taylor) Skiddy was
a child, when his mother married for the
second time, and when he went to school
he took the name of his mother's second
husband. In course of time he decided,
having an independent spirit, to take care
of himself, and accordingly ran away,
going to England, where he had relatives.
These relatives sent him to some of their
intimate friends in Bordeaux, France,
and there he remained for several years
attending school, but finally returned to
the United States and entered the United
States navy. In the War of 1812, he was
a midshipman on the United States
steamship "Hornet," and took part in the
battle with the British sloop, "Penguin,"
March 15, 181 5. He was later in another
engagement, was captured and sent to
England as a prisoner, where he was kept
185
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
for several months in the famous Dart-
more Prison, and finally was released and
returned to the United States, when he
became a naval architect and builder. He
was associated in that capacity with two
or three of the important shipping con-
cerns of New York, among them the
house of Grinnell Minton & Company
and Howland & Aspinwall. It was the
custom in those days for the large houses
engaged in foreign commerce to build and
operate their own vessels, known as
"clippers," and Captain Skiddy would
build a vessel for them with the agree-
ment that he was to command her on her
maiden voyage, selling her cargo at one
port and buying at that port to sell at
another port. When this voyage was
completed, he would design and build an-
other vessel and in turn go out with her
for the maiden voyage. Captain Skiddy
was occupied in this way until 1840. He
married, in England, his second wife,
Mary A. Anderson, daughter of an Eng-
lish judge, and then returned to America
with his bride and settled in New York
City, where he established himself in
private practice as a naval architect, mak-
ing contracts to design, build and equip
vessels, and turn them over to their own-
ers complete and ready for sea. When
steamships began to supplant sailing ves-
sels, he turned his attention to designing
the more modern craft, of which he built
a large number, among them being the
old side-wheelers, "Argo" and "Fulton,"
of the French Line, running from New
York to Havre ; the "Jamestown" and
"Yorktown," which plied between New
York and Richmond, Virginia, and many
others.
In 1858 he moved from New York City
to Stamford, Connecticut, building a res-
idence on the site now occupied by the
present United States Post Office. He
practically retired from active work, al-
though he occasionally acted as consult-
ing architect and supervised in the con-
struction of steamers. Captain Skiddy
was much interested in all charitable and
philanthropic movements. After moving
to Stamford, he was greatly disturbed by
the unsanitary condition in which he
found many of the dependent poor, and as
the result of his agitation the town of
Stamford gave up the practice of "letting
out" its paupers, and established a poor
farm. Captain Skiddy was a fine exam-
ple of a constructive, broadminded and
charitable citizen, always trying to con-
tribute to the progress and development
of the day.
William Wheelright Skiddy, son of
Captain William and Mary A. (Ander-
son) Skiddy, was born in New York City,
April 26, 1845. His early life was passed
in New York, and there he received an
excellent education. He attended the
Anthon Private School and prepared for
college at the Russel Military Academy
of New Haven, graduating from the Shef-
field Scientific School in 1865 with the
degree of Ph. B. He then entered the
office of his uncle, Francis Skiddy, in
Wall street, New York City, and three
years later became associated with E. A.
Quintard (who married his eldest sister),
in the coal mining interests in Pennsyl-
vania, and was thus occupied for eight
years. In the meantime, he had married
Eleanor Mott Gay, a daughter of William
Gay, of Stamford, Connecticut. The lat-
ter was interested in the Stamford Man-
ufacturing Company, and was its presi-
dent. In June, 1875, Mr. Skiddy became
connected with the Stamford Manufactur-
ing Company. Being determined to mas-
ter the business in all its branches, he
commenced by helping to unload logwood
and other raw materials received in ves-
sels from the West Indies ; he donned
overalls and continued to work step by
186
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
step until he had gone through all of the
departments and had a thorough and
practical knowledge of every detail in the
manufacture of the company's products.
After devoting several years in secur-
ing this knowledge, he was soon made
a member of the board of directors. In
1887 he was elected president of the com-
pany, and the business grew very rapidly
in size and importance. At the time it
was destroyed by fire, February 19, 1919,
it was seven or eight times as large as
when he became connected with it, or in
other words, in 1875, about seven thou-
sand tons of raw material were required
for the extracts manufactured each year,
and at the time of the fire they required
one thousand tons per week. The prod-
ucts went all over the world, and such
was the company's reputation that its
prices were universally accepted as the
basis on which all other dye products
were priced. At the "Exchange" in Ham-
burg, Germany, when quotations were
quoted on various natural dyes, the ques-
tion immediately asked before any busi-
ness could be transacted was "what is
the price of Stamford?" The company
manufactured all kinds of natural dyes
for silk, cotton, wool and leather. The
business was established in 1796 and was
incorporated as the Stamford Manufac-
turing Company in 1844, and was the
acknowledged leader of its line in the
world. At the time of the disaster, about
five hundred men were employed. Dur-
ing the years that had passed, many
changes, both mechanical and chemical,
had been made in methods and processes,
the machinery more and more supplant-
ing human labor. On the basis of 1876,
it would have required at the time of the
fire fifteen hundred hands to turn out
the product that science and progress
made possible for five hundred to do. To
see a business thus carefully nurtured for
nearly half a century wiped out overnight
is a staggering blow. Great as was the
financial loss, there was another loss less
tangible, but perhaps even harder to bear.
To live with an idea for any enterprise is
but the concrete expression of an idea, year
after year to see it grow and develop into
sturdy strength, winning world-wide rec-
ognition, and then in a few hours to be
destroyed as if it had never been, the
sense of loss can be apprehended only by
one who has experienced it. He imme-
diately started plans for rebuilding the
plant, but the advice of friends that it
was too great a task to be undertaken at
his time of life finally convinced him that
he was wrong and so he decided to give
up active commercial life.
He was vice-president and director of
the Stamford National Bank for many
years, and when it was merged with the
First National Bank under the name of
the First Stamford National Bank, he was
elected a vice-president and director of
the new organization. For many years he
has been a director of the Stamford Sav-
ings Bank, a director of the Stamford
Trust Company, and a director of the
Morris Plan Bank. His fraternal affili-
ations are as follows: Union Lodge, No.
5, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons ;
Rittenhouse Chapter, No. 11, Royal Arch
Masons ; the Suburban Club of Stamford ;
Yale and University clubs of New York ;
Graduate Club of New Haven ; Society of
the War of 1812; Church clubs of New
York and Connecticut, etc. He has
served as president of the Connecticut
Church Club ; as chairman of the trustees
of the Church Club of New York; and
was one time president of the Church
Conference of the United States. For
many years he was a member of St.
John's Episcopal Church of Stamford,
Connecticut, serving as warden and dele-
87
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
gate to the Diocesan Convention for forty
years.
He resides in New York City during
the winter months, being identified there
with Grace Church, and being a delegate
of the Diocese of New York. He was a
delegate to the General Convention of the
Protestant Episcopal Church from 1886
to 1898, representing the Diocese of Con-
necticut, and since 1898 has been treas-
urer of the General Convention. For
more than twenty-five years he has been
interested as director and officer in the
Boys' Club of New York City, which has
over eight thousand members. This club
has a large and complete house at the
corner of Avenue A and Tenth street, and
a large summer camp in Jamesport, Long
Island, which he is actively interested in,
as well as the summer home for children
belonging to Grace Parish of New York
and which is located near New Canaan,
Connecticut.
In politics, Mr. Skiddy was a Democrat
until 1896, and during that time was a
delegate to the convention in Chicago
which nominated Grover Cleveland for
president. He was brigadier-general of
commissary under Governor Thomas
Waller. While he was a student at the
Russell Military School, during the Civil
War, he was among those detailed to drill
some of the three months' volunteers.
There was little knowledge of military
training at that time. Several companies
belonging to the First and Second regi-
ments were trained at Halleck's Point in
New Haven, and General Russell was
asked to detail some of his boys to train
these companies, and young Skiddy, who
was then captain of the second company
at the school, was among those selected.
He spent a month at the camp thus em-
ployed and was asked to go out as first
lieutenant and was eager to do so, but on
account of his youth it was impossible.
As a loyal Yale man he has always been
interested in everything pertaining to
Yale, and in June, 1890, at the alumni
meeting in New Haven, he proposed the
establishing of a Yale Alumni University
Fund Association and offered a resolution
to that purpose, which was adopted and
unanimously approved the following day
at the annual alumni lunch. The associ-
ation has been most successful and has
become an important asset to the Univer-
sity, having contributed up to the present
time over $3,800,000. While at Yale he
was interested in rowing and has retained
his interest in that sport. In the Class
Biographical Records of Yale, it states
that from 1900 to 1905, inclusive, Yale
won ever varsity race at New London,
during which time he was graduate ad-
visor.
Mr. Skiddy married, in April, 1867,
Eleanor Mott Gay, the daughter of Wil-
liam Gay, of Stamford, Connecticut, and
they had three children : William, de-
ceased ; Lillie, wife of Willard Parker, Jr.,
class of 1890, Yale ; and Adele, wife of
R. W. Carle, class of 1897, Yale.
TREADWELL, John Prime,
Man of Affairs.
From the time of the earliest Colonial
settlements the name of Treadwell is
found in the annals of Massachusetts and
Connecticut. Members of this family,
descendants from the two immigrants,
Charles and Edward Treadwell, are to be
found occupying positions of trust and
responsibility in many of our cities. One
of these notable descendants was Gover-
nor John Treadwell, of Colonial days.
The Rev. John Treadwell was a scholar
of repute. So it is today ; descendants
bearing the name of Treadwell occupy
honored places among their fellow-citi-
zens. John Prime Treadwell, president of
188
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
the National Bank of Norwalk, is another
worthy scion of this family.
There were varied ways of designating
families prior to the thirteenth century.
The most common one was according to
the location of homes, and the surname of
Treadwell is thus derived. It is a com-
pound of tread and well. The first half,
tread, is the old English word for path
or pathway ; well was originally wiella,
old English for spring. We therefore
have the derivation of path by a well, near
which resided a family who were thus
designated. It was very natural for this
family to assume this name when the use
of surnames came into vogue.
The earliest mention of the name of
Treadwell in America is found on the
Dorchester records in March, 1637, when
the name of Thomas Treadwell is re-
corded. This Thomas Treadwell is be-
lieved to have been a brother of Edward
Treadwell.
(I) Edward Treadwell also appears in
Litchfield, Connecticut, in 1637. He re-
moved soon after to Huntington, Long
Island, where he died, in 1660. He had
a son Samuel, of whom further.
(II) Samuel Treadwell married Ruth
Wheeler, daughter of Ephraim Wheeler,
and removed to Fairfield, Connecticut.
He was undoubtedly the father of
Thomas Treadwell.
(III) Thomas Treadwell was born
about 1683, and was settled early in Fair-
field, Connecticut, and was the father of
Hezekiah Treadwell.
(IV) Hezekiah Treadwell was born in
1708, and died in 1761. He held the rank
of lieutenant in the militia company.
With his family he removed to Stratford,
then to New Milford, Connecticut. In
1730 he married Mehetable Minor, born
in 1709, died in 1763. They were the
parents of a son, Hezekiah (2) Treadwell.
(V) Hezekiah (2) Treadwell was born
February 14, 1741, one of twins. He lived
first in Stratford, and later in New Milford,
Connecticut. He married (first) in 1763,
Sally Banks, of Stratford, who died in
1776-77. He married (second) March
17, 1779, Abiah Stilson, born in Newtown,
Connecticut, in 1751, died October 27,
1793, in New Milford, Connecticut. She
was the mother of Samuel Treadwell.
(VI) Samuel Treadwell was born May
5, 1788, in New Milford, Connecticut.
He followed the occupation of blacksmith,
and was among the esteemed citizens of
his native town. On December 23, 1810,
he married Jane Prime, born November
11, 1782, daughter of Asa Prime, who
was among the first settlers of Milford.
They were the parents of a son, John
Prime Treadwell, of whom further. (See
Prime V).
(VII) John Prime Treadwell, son of
Samuel and Jane (Prime) Treadwell, was
born in New Milford, Connecticut, Octo-
ber 6, 181 1. He was twelve years of age
when he left home and came to Norwalk,
making part of the journey on foot and
helped by rides with drivers. From Nor-
walk he went to New York City by water,
where he went to work as a bell-boy in
the old Franklin House. He soon showed
that he was made of the right kind of
stuff, and won the confidence of his em-
ployers. He was promoted from one po-
sition to another, mastering every detail
of the hotel business as it was carried on
in that day. His honesty, efficiency and
sound judgment so appealed to the own-
ers of the Franklin House that they built
the hotel which for many years was
known as the St. Nicholas, for the express
purpose of giving Mr. Treadwell an op-
portunity to engage in the hotel business
on his own account. He first formed a
partnership with a man named Hays, and
under the firm name, Treadwell & Hays,
they opened the St. Nicholas Hotel.
189
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
After a while the late Captain Acker, of
Brooklyn, succeeded Mr. Hays in the
partnership, the firm name being Tread-
well & Acker. Mr. Acker later sold his
interest to a Mr. Whitcomb, and the
firm name became Treadwell, Whitcomb
& Company. During all these years
the St. Nicholas held a high place in
popular esteem. About i860 Mr. Tread-
well decided to retire from the hotel
business. Going back to his native town,
he. purchased what was known as the
Perry Smith property, a farm of some two
hundred acres, and after remodelling the
dwelling, removed his family to their new
home and settled down to the life of a
gentleman farmer. He was quiet and re-
tiring in his disposition, and preferred the
pleasures of the family circle to all other
attractions.
Mr. Treadwell married, December 8,
1841, Mary E. Lockwood, daughter of
Buckingham St. John Lockwood, a
descendant of Robert Lockwood. Of
their children three grew up: Mary Eliza-
beth, now deceased; Julia Abigail, mar-
ried Mortimer McRoberts, of Chicago,
now deceased ; and John Prime (2)
Treadwell.
(VIII) John Prime (2) Treadwell, son
of John Prime (1) and Mary E. (Lock-
wood) Treadwell, was born August 17,
1854, in New York City. He grew to
manhood in New Bedford, being edu-
cated in the public schools. He then be-
came a clerk in the Fairfield National
Bank of Norwalk. After two or three
years Mr. Treadwell returned to New
Milford, his father having died, and he
assumed the responsibilities of the home-
stead with his sisters and mother, the
latter at that time being an invalid. In
addition to carrying on the farm and look-
ing after other interests connected with
the estate, Mr. Treadwell put roads
through part of the farm, which was in
the northern part of the village, thus
opening up a number of fine building lots.
In 1883 Mr. Treadwell returned to Nor-
walk and became teller in the institution
of which he is now president. Beginning
in the teller's cage, he was promoted suc-
cessively to assistant cashier, vice-presi-
dent, and president, succeeding the late
Congressman Hill as chief executive of
the bank upon the death of the latter
about two years ago.
Mr. Treadwell was a director for many
years of the old Danbury & Norwalk
Railroad before it was absorbed by the
New York, New Haven & Hartford Rail-
road ; was a director of the Norwalk Gas
Company, and the Norwalk Street Rail-
way Company, both of which were ab-
sorbed by larger organizations. Mr.
Treadwell is now a director of the Fairfield
County Savings Bank, the New Milford
Water Company, and of the Norwalk
Public Library ; also treasurer of the Nor-
walk Historical and Memorial Library
Association. Mr. Treadwell affiliates
with St. John's Lodge, No. 6, Free and
Accepted Masons, of which he was treas-
urer for many years ; Butler Chapter, No.
38, Royal Arch Masons ; Clinton Com-
mandery, No. 3, Knights Templar; Our
Brother's Lodge, No. 10, Independent Or-
der of Odd Fellows. He is a member of
the Norwalk Club, Norwalk Country Club
and the Roxbury Club.
Mr. Treadwell married, October 12,
1880, Millicent Clarissa Booth, daughter
of Charles Herd and Millicent (Cross)
Booth, and they are the parents of two
children: 1. John Prime (3), born Au-
gust 16, 1881, now comptroller of the
American Bank Note Company of New
York City, and resides at Mount Vernon,
New York ; he married Mabel S. Carter,
of Easton, Pennsylvania, and they have
two children: John Prime (4), and Car-
ter. 2. Henry Resseguie, born December
190
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
3, 1884, now manager of the American
Bank Note Company, who also resides
in Mt. Vernon, New York; he married
Hilda M. Goldsmith, of New York City,
and they have two children : Elizabeth
Lunt, and Barbara Booth.
(The Prime Line).
Two brothers, James and Mark Prime,
were natives of Doncaster, Yorkshire,
England. In order to escape the persecu-
tions of King Charles I. they came to
America. There Mark Prime settled, in
Rowley, Massachusetts, and James Prime
settled in Milford, Connecticut, in 1644.
James Prime died in 1685. He had a son,
James (2) Prime.
(II) James (2) Prime was a large land-
holder. He was an original proprietor
of New Milford, through purchase, in
1702. Tradition claims he lived to the
great age of one hundred and three years.
His wife's name was Sarah, and she died
August 20, 1721. They were the parents
of a son, James (3).
(III) Deacon James (3) Prime pur-
chased his father's rights in New Milford,
and removed there in 1716 with his wife
Anna. They lived in what was known as
Park Lane. Their eldest son was Wil-
liam.
(IV) William Prime was married Oc-
tober 31, 1739, to Sarah, daughter of
Henry Garlick, and they were the parents
of Asa Prime.
(V) Asa Prime was born July 17, 1753.
He married, June 25, 1777, Phebe Res-
seguie. Their daughter Jane became the
wife of Samuel Treadwell. (See Tread-
well VI).
(The Lockwood Line).
(I) Robert Lockwood came about 1630
from England and settled at Watertown,
Massachusetts. He was made a freeman
March 9, 1636-37, and removed in 1646
to Fairfield, Connecticut, where he died
in 1658. On May 20, 1652, he was made a
freeman in Fairfield. His wife, whose
Christian name was Susannah, died De-
cember 23, 1660, in Greenwich, Connecti-
cut.
(II) Ephraim Lockwood, son of Rob-
ert and Susannah Lockwood, was born
December 1, 1641, in Watertown, and re-
moved to Connecticut with his father. He
married, June 8, 1664, Mercy St. John,
daughter of Matthias St. John, of Nor-
walk. He was made a freeman in Octo-
ber, 1667. They were the parents of a
son, Eliphalet Lockwood.
(III) Deacon Eliphalet Lockwood, son
of Ephraim and Mercy (St. John) Lock-
wood, was born February 27, 1675-76, in
Norwalk, Connecticut, and died October
14, 1753. He married, October 11, 1699,
Mary Gold, born about 1673, daughter of
John Gold. She died March 6, 1761.
They were the parents of a son, Peter
Lockwood.
(IV) Peter Lockwood, son of Deacon
Eliphalet (1) and Mary (Gold) Lock-
wood, was born March 16, 1710-11, in
Norwalk, Connecticut, and died in 1775,
at Danbury, Connecticut. He served as
representative from Norwalk in six differ-
ent sessions between 1755 and 1764. He
married (first) September 8, 1737, Abigail
Hawley, daughter of the Rev. Thomas
Hawley, of Ridgefield, who died June 6,
1749. They were the parents of Eliphalet
(2) Lockwood.
(V) Captain Eliphalet (2) Lockwood,
son of Peter and Abigail (Hawley) Lock-
wood, was born October 17, 1741, in Nor-
walk. He enlisted in the First Company,
Colonel Charles Webb's Seventh Con-
necticut regiment, July 12, 1775. He rep-
resented Norwalk seven times in the Leg-
islature. On January 8, 1766, he married
Susannah St. John, daughter of Joseph
St. John. They were the parents of Buck-
ingham St. John Lockwood.
191
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
(VI) Colonel Buckingham St. John
Lockwood, son of Captain Eliphalet (2)
and Susannah (St. John) Lockwood,
was born December 23, 1774, and died
February 10, 1850. He married, February
17, 1808, Polly Esther St. John, born
March 10, 1783, died October 20, 1850,
daughter of William and Mary Esther
(Belden) St. John. They were the par-
ents of Mary Esther Lockwood.
(VII) Mary Esther Lockwood, daugh-
ter of Colonel Buckingham St. John and
Polly Esther (St. John) Lockwood, was
born September 25, 1815, in Norwalk,
Connecticut, and died May 11, 1880, in
Xew Milford. She became the wife of
John Prime (1) Treadwell. (See Tread-
well VII).
JUDD, William Hawley,
Man of Enterprise.
The Judd family is one of the oldest in
New England, and has been identified
with Connecticut since 1636, when the
immigrant ancestor of the family came
to Hartford with Rev. Thomas Hooker.
From that time to the present the family
has been prominent in the commercial,
industrial, social and political life of the
State. In every time of national peril
this family has borne its share of the com-
mon burden. William H. Judd, of Stam-
ford, is a worthy representative of those
sturdy, right-thinking, right-living ances-
tors who helped to give New England its
present and beneficent influence on the
life of this country.
The name of Judd is among the oldest
of English surnames. We find Henry
Judde recorded in the Hundred Rolls.
No doubt he was from France, where the
name Jude was common. It is derived
from Judah. meaning praise, the name
given by Jacob to his fourth son, who
was the founder of the greatest and most
populous of the twelve tribes of Israel.
(I) The founder of this family was
Deacon Thomas Judd, born in England
in 1608, and who settled in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, in 1633-34. He was
granted a home lot there in 1634, located
in the West End on the Watertown road.
He was granted more land in the follow-
ing year and on May 25th of that year he
was admitted a freeman. In 1636 he re-
moved to Hartford, Connecticut, and had
two acres for a home lot. This was lo-
cated near the famous "Charter Oak." He
removed to Farmington from Hartford
about 1644, and was one of the first pro-
prietors there. He was a prominent man
in the town, his home being situated on
the main street. He served as deputy to
the General Court several times, and was
a charter member of the church in Farm-
ington, being a second deacon of the
church. He lived to be eighty years
of age, and died November 12, 1688. The
death of his first wife occurred in Farm-
ington, and he married (second) Clem-
ence, widow of Thomas Mason of North-
ampton, and lived in that town the re-
mainder of his life. There he was
selectman in 1682, and held a prominent
place in the social and political life of the
town.
(II) Philip Judd. son of Thomas Judd,
was born in 1649, and baptized September
2nd of that year. He lived in Farming-
ton until a few years before his death,
when he removed to Waterbury, Con-
necticut, where he died in October, 1689.
His wife was Hannah, daughter of
Thomas Loomis of Windsor.
(III) Philip (2) Judd. son of Philip
(1) and Hannah Judd. was born in 1673,
and died between 1760 and 1765. With
his wife, Lydia, he was a member of the
church in 1760. With his brothers, Philip
Judd removed to Danbury previous to
1720, but the records of this town were
totally destroyed by the British, and for
192
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
this reason it is very difficult to trace
members of the family.
(IV) Samuel Judd, son of Philip and
Lydia Judd, lived for some years in
Bethel Society. He married Hannah
Knapp, and they were the parents of a
son, Samuel Judd, Jr. They were mem-
bers of the church in 1760.
(V) Samuel Judd, Jr., son of Samuel
and Hannah (Knapp) Judd, was born
1743-44, and lived for some years in Corn-
wall, where he is believed to have died.
He married Lucy Hawley, and they were
the parents of Benjamin Judd, mentioned
below.
(VI) Benjamin Judd, son of Samuel
and Lucy (Hawley) Judd, was born in
1769, and married Zilpha Williams, of
Bethel, June 13, 1790, and she died April
15, 1819. He died March 6, 1826. Their
son, Hawley Judd, is next in line.
(VII) Hawley Judd, son of Benjamin
and Zilpha (Williams) Judd, was born
September 13, 1797, married Eleanor Ad-
ams of Redding, December 31, 1818. He
removed to Pembroke, New York, and
from there to Michigan. He was the fa-
ther of Grant Judd, of further mention.
(VIII) Grant Judd, son of Hawley
and Eleanor (Adams) Judd, was born
June, 29, 1821, in Bethel, Connecticut,
and in 1843, removed to Stamford, Con-
necticut, where he spent the remainder
of his life. He became one of the promi-
nent men of the place and was identified
with the early business there. He was
one of the organizers of the Phoenix Car-
riage Manufacturing Company of Stam-
ford, and was associated with this com-
pany until its dissolution. He was a very
upright man and of excellent character.
He died January 3, 1892. He married,
March 26, 1845, Hannah M. Knapp, born
June 26, 1827, daughter of Luther and
Hannah (Selleck) Knapp.
(IX) William Hawley Judd, son of
Conn— 8— 13
Grant and Hannah M. (Knapp) Judd,
and the subject of this review, was born
at Stamford, Connecticut, February 10,
1850, and received his education there
in private schools. At the age of eighteen
he entered upon his business career with
St. John & Hoyt, dealers in lumber. He
had been pursuing a course in civil en-
gineering, when he was offered a position
by Mr. John St. John, to open the books
for the new company they were going
to organize. He was also to collect out-
standing accounts due to the old firm of
Fox & St. John. That was in 1868, and
Mr. Judd accepted the position, and has
been identified with the business to the
present time (1920). Originally, the
business occupied a small space on Broad
street which, in 1873, was removed to its
present location, and in 1879 Mr. Judd
became a member of the firm of St. John,
Hoyt & Company. In 1885, the business
was divided, the manufacturing branch
being incorporated under the name of The
St. John Woodworking Company, of
which Mr. Judd became secretary and
treasurer and has continued in that office
to the present time (1920). When Mr.
St. John retired in 1888, his interest was
purchased by Charles H. Getman, of Os-
wego, New York, and the firm name
became Hoyt, Getman & Judd. Upon
the death of Mr. Hoyt, the name of the
firm was changed to Getman & Judd. In
April, 1897, Mr. Frank W. Bogardus was
admitted to the firm, and the name again
changed to Getman, Judd & Company.
Mr. Getman died in 1898 and upon the
settlement of his estate, the business was
incorporated as The Getman & Judd
Company, with Mr. Judd as president,
which office he holds at the present time
(1920). The business covers about seven
acres of land, and they ship to all points
in New England and New York, being
one of the largest lumber firms in New
193
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
England. Through all the changes in the
business Mr. Judd has been the leading
spirit in the forward progress of the com-
pany. He has other business interests of
an exacting nature, but his long associ-
ation with this concern has given him the
foremost position there. He is secretary
and treasurer of the St. John Wood
Working Company ; secretary, treasurer
and director of the East Branch Dock
Corporation ; director of The Stamford
Trust Company ; vice-president of The
Stamford Hospital ; director of the Manu-
facturers' Association of Stamford, and of
the Woodland Cemetery Association ; di-
rector of the Stamford Savings Bank, the
Stamford Morris Plan Company, the
Pennsylvania Lumber Mutual Fire Insur-
ance Company, The Lumber Mutual Fire
Insurance Company of Boston ; delegate
of the Eastern States Retail Lumber Deal-
ers' Association and has served as presi-
dent of the Connecticut Lumber Dealers'
Association ; is trustee and vice-president
of the Stamford Children's Home, and a
director of the King School ; director of
the Young Men's Christian Association of
Stamford ; vice-president of The Apart-
ments Company of Stamford.
Mr. Judd is a Republican in politics,
and is deeply interested in civic affairs.
While a busy man he is ever at the serv-
ice of the public, but seeks no political
preferment. He was a burgess of Stam-
ford under the borough government. He
is a member of the Church Club of Con-
necticut, the Suburban Club of Stamford,
and the Stamford Yacht Club. Through
his maternal ancestry, he holds member-
ship in the Sons of the American Revo-
lution.
Mr. Judd married, November II, 1873,
in New York City, Anna Moores, born
April 3, 185 1, daughter of Charles W. and
Susan (Mallory) Moores. They are
members of St. Andrew's Protestant
Episcopal Church of Stamford, of which
Mr. Judd has been vestryman and senior
warden for many years.
Personally, Mr. Judd is a genial, whole-
souled gentleman, a man who meets busi-
ness problems with the full power of a
keen mind and who goes out to his relax-
ation with the same zest and spirit. He
is one of those men who make Stamford
a city of homes as well as a prosperous
business center.
RITCH, Silas Davis,
Public Official.
It seems particularly fitting to find a
representative of one of the early Colonial
families occupying a position of public
trust and responsibility. Silas Davis
Ritch, tax collector of the town of Green-
wich, Connecticut, is the scion of one of
the oldest families of Fairfield county.
Mr. Ritch was born April 11, 1859, in
Greenwich, son of William M. and Sarah
(Hamilton) Ritch, and is a direct de-
scendant of Henry Ritch.
(I) As early as 1681 there is record
found of Henry Ritch, at which time he
bought land in Sanford, Connecticut, of
one Caleb Webb. He sold this land in
1685 and removed to Greenwich, Connec-
ticut. There on May 19, 1686, he was
granted three acres of land, and there he
died about 1710. He married (first) Oc-
tober 21, 1680, Martha Penoyer, daugh-
ter of Robert Penoyer. He married (sec-
ond) .
(II) Thomas Ritch, son of Henry and
Martha (Penoyer) Ritch, was born
about 1682. He married Ruth ,
and they were the parents of John, of
whom further.
(III) John Ritch, son of Thomas and
Ruth Ritch, was born May 4, 1718. He
married, February 17, 1741, Jemima
194
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Holmes, and they were the parents of
James, of whom further.
(IV) James Ritch, son of John and
Jemima (Holmes) Ritch, was born June
8, 1763. He married (first) Mary Ann
Lock wood, born April 15, 1763, and (sec-
ond) Mary Whelpley, born October 18,
1774-
(V) Ralph Ritch, son of James Ritch,
was born March 9, 1798, and died De-
cember 28, 1846. He married, December
5, 1819, Clemence Mead, born December
25> x797» died March 27, 1867, daughter
of Matthew and Mercy (Hobby) Mead.
(VI) William M. Ritch, son of Ralph
and Clemence (Mead) Ritch, was born
June 1, 1820, and died in 1909. He re-
ceived a common school education, and
at the age of seventeen years learned the
trade of carpenter. It was not many
years after completing his apprenticeship
that he was able to enter into business
on his own account, which proves that he
was possessed of more than the ordinary
ability. He was a shrewd business man
and realized the possibilities in the trans-
portation trade between New York and
Greenwich. He purchased a schooner,
called the "Mariner," and engaged in the
business of carrying stone between New
York and Greenwich. Not satisfied with
attaining this business, he sought a higher
goal and purchased a quarry, eventually
employing three schooners to carry the
stone. Mr. Ritch was very successful in
his business, and was able to retire from
active duties many years before his death.
He was one of the leading citizens of his
community and held in high respect. He
married Sarah Hamilton, a native of Ire-
land, and she died August 7, 1888. They
were the parents of five children : George
deceased ; Esta ; Willis ; Elizabeth, de-
ceased ; and Silas Davis, who receives
extended mention below. Mr. Ritch was
originally a Democrat, but in 1862 be-
came a Republican. He served as a mem-
ber of the Board of Relief and also as
assessor. For many years he attended the
Presbyterian church.
(VII) Silas Davis Ritch, son of Wil-
liam M. and Sarah (Hamilton) Ritch, was
born April 11, 1859, *n Greenwich, Con-
necticut. He was educated in the public
schools, the Chappaqua school, a Quaker
boarding school, and at Professor Smith's
private school in Portchester, New
York. Mr. Ritch then took up the study
of medicine under the preceptorship of
of Dr. Stanton Hall, of Portchester,
and then matriculated in the New York
Homoeopathic Medical College. Not find-
ing the practice of medicine congenial,
Mr. Ritch was sensible enough to discon-
tinue it, realizing that to make a success
in any chosen trade or profession there
must first be the desire to follow such
a business. Mr. Ritch accordingly be-
came associated with his father in the
stone quarrying business. In 1895, when
the latter desired to retire from business,
Silas D. Ritch, in company with his
brother, Willis Ritch, purchased the busi-
ness from their father and formed a part-
nership under the firm name of Ritch
Brothers. In 1912, they also retired from
this occupation and sold their interests
in 1918 to the town of Greenwich and the
spot will be used for park purposes. In
politics, Mr. Ritch is a Republican, and
for ten years ably served as selectman of
Greenwich, 1900 to 1910. In the latter
year he was elected tax collector, which
office he holds at the present time (1920).
Fraternally, Mr. Ritch is a member of the
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks,
in Portchester, and of the Woodmen of
the World, of East Portchester.
Mr. Ritch married, December 2, 1885,
Ida F. Mead, born June 12, i860, daugh-
ter of Lyman and Rebecca Mead, and a
direct descendant of William Mead, one
IQS
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
of the early settlers of Fairfield county.
Their children are : Norman S., born Jan-
uary 21, 1891, married Lillian Lyon;
Esther, born June 27, 1894, the wife of
George S. Noyes. The mother of these
children died March 13, 1901.
RITCH, Thomas Gardiner,
Lawyer, Honored Citiien.
Not one of Mr. Ritch's surviving fel-
low-citizens needs to be informed that the
name which stands at the head of this
article is that of one who for many years
was numbered among the leading resi-
dents of beautiful Stamford.
His father, Timothy Wells Rossiter
Ritch, son of Thomas and Rachel (Wal-
lace) Ritch, was born February 19, 1807,
in North Salem, Westchester county, New
York, and attended the North Salem
Academy. When only fourteen, the boy
started to earn his living in New York.
He had only his stage fare, and a Spanish
dollar on which he cut the words, "My
mother," and which is still in possession
of his family. He found a place in the
wholesale grocery house of Lockwood &
Foshay. Such a position was different in
those days from the present time. He
was required to open the store at six in
the morning, wait on people all day, close
the store about ten at night, and then
sleep in the building. Wages at first were
board and clothing. A counterfeit bill of
five dollars, taken in one day, had to be
made good. He began at once to make a
study of counterfeit money, and soon be-
came an expert in detecting it. At twen-
ty-one, he was received as partner in the
firm under the name of Lockwood, Ritch
& Company. The store was at No. 61
Vesey street, and the house in which he
lived No. 281 Washington street. In 1831
he married Sarah Ann Barnum, of North
Salem. In 1835 his health failed, and he
moved to Stamford, Connecticut, buying
the stone house on Main street, once
owned by George A. Hoyt. His father-
in-law came to Stamford at the same time,
building on Atlantic street a house which
remained in possession of the family until
1910.
In 1854 Mr. Ritch represented his town
in the State Legislature, with John
Clason, and again in 1861, with I. S.
Jones. His strong common sense, quick-
ness of intellect, and practical knowledge,
made him a valuable member of the com-
mittees on which he served. In 1855 he
was elected first selectman and served for
thirteen years. In 1862 he was elected
town treasurer, and reelected, except one
year, until 1877. During the war, he was
untiring in his efforts to fill the quota of
soldiers assigned to the town. He visited
Bridgeport almost daily and secured
every man who offered at a moderate
sum, so that the quota would be filled
or nearly so when an order for a draft
came, thus saving the town thousands of
dollars. His quiet foresight and energy
gave to Stamford a name for loyalty sec-
ond to none in the State. No face was
more familiar in the houses of the sol-
diers' widows and orphans than his. In
their troubles they came to him and re-
ceived counsel and aid. When Thanks-
giving came, year after year, it was the
old First Selectman of Stamford who
carried them their Thanksgiving dinners.
He was an incorporator of the First
National Bank of Stamford, and a director
until his death, and for two years its act-
ing president. He was an incorporator
of the Citizens' Savings Bank in 1869,
and its president until death ; also an in-
corporator and director of the Woodland
Cemetery Association, and president of
the Gas Company from 1875 until death.
As to his church relations, while in New
York, he and his family attended the old
196
J
+*
Jm
t^T^z.
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Brick Church, Presbyterian, of which Dr.
Gardiner Spring was pastor. Coming to
Stamford, he was active in the Congrega-
tional church .until 1853, when the Pres-
byterian church was organized. He was
clerk and treasurer from the beginning,
and a member of the building committee.
He served as trustee, deacon, and elder,
being ruling elder at the time of his death.
He became a teacher in the Sunday school
the day it was organized and continued
until his last illness. He died April 25,
1887.
The Revolutionary ancestors of Thomas
Gardiner Ritch were: John (or Lewis)
and Mary (Hyatt) Ritch, of Norwalk;
Samuel and Rachel (Morehouse) Wal-
lace, of North Salem and Ridgefield ; Dr.
Samuel and Martha (Schofield) Barnum,
of North Salem ; Ananias and Sally
(Brown) Weed, of North Stamford, all
helping to win the war.
John Ritch was living in Norwalk when
war broke out. His house was burned by
the British. He took part in the battle
on Long Island, was taken prisoner, and
died in a sugar house in New York. Sam-
uel Wallace took part in the battle at
Ridgefield. Dr. Samuel Barnum served
as volunteer surgeon in the same battle.
Ananias Weed left his wife and baby in
their new house, "Sky Meadows," North
Stamford, and served in Canada through
the war, being the first man to enter the
gates of Montreal, and he carried a bullet
in his breast the remainder of his life.
His wife, Sally (Brown) Weed, with her
gun and dog, resisted successfully a raid
of the cow boys. Thomas Barnum,
grandfather of Dr. Samuel Barnum,
served in King Philip's War, and received
for bravery a grant of land in Norwalk.
Such were some of the fighting ances-
tors of Thomas Gardiner Ritch. He was
born September 18, 1833, m North Salem,
Westchester county, New York, and was
prepared for college under the tutorship
of his uncle, the Rev. Samuel W. Bar-
num. In 1854 he graduated from Yale Uni-
versity with the degree of Bachelor of
Arts, and then entered Yale Law School.
After graduating he was admitted to the
bar of New York. For many years Mr.
Ritch practiced with notable and, without
exaggeration, splendid success in New
York, always, however, retaining his resi-
dence in Stamford. At the time of his
death he was the oldest commuter be-
tween Stamford and New York.
When the clouds of the Civil War
darkened the sky, and the call to arms
rang through the length and breadth of
the land, Mr. Ritch, with the patriotic
ardor characteristic of his family, offered
himself for enlistment, but was rejected
on account of defective vision. This,
however, while directing his efforts into
another channel did not in the least di-
minish their energy, and throughout the
four years of the conflict he gave to the
Union cause all the aid and encourage-
ment which, as a private citizen, he was
able to render. All his life he was earn-
est in promoting the welfare of his com-
munity. He was an active member of the
First Presbyterian Church and served as
elder until his death ; also for years as su-
perintendent of the Sunday school.
Mr. Ritch married, April 14, 1859,
Maria E. Pratt, daughter of Hiram and
Maria (Fowle) Pratt, of Buffalo, New
York. Mr. Pratt was born June 28, 1800,
in Westminster, Vermont, whence he re-
moved to Buffalo. At the age of thirty-
five he was elected mayor of that city,
being the third man chosen to fill the
office. He died in 1840. Mr. and Mrs.
Ritch were the parents of the following
children : Mary Rossiter, of Stamford ;
Alice Maria, died July 13, 1893; Charles
Gardiner, died in infancy ; Helen Weed,
of Stamford ; John Woodford, died in in-
197
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
fancy ; Louise Hopkins, died November
14, 1894; and Edith Prime, died June 26,
1892. Mrs. Ritch passed away April 10,
1897.
The death of Mr. Ritch, which occurred
October 16, 1907, deprived the legal pro-
fession of one of its most honored mem-
bers and took from Stamford one of her
most public-spirited citizens. Many
heart-felt tributes were offered to his
character and work. Eminent at the bar,
and honored aand beloved in private life,
Thomas Gardiner Ritch has left a record
worthy of preservation and a memory
which will linger long in the hearts of
those privileged to know him.
CARTER, Galen A.,
Attorncy-at-Law. Councilman.
Among the factors of civic prosperity
there is one that has nothing to do with
the carrying on of trade or industrial op-
erations, yet which is so important that
without its presence the material ad-
vancement of the community must prove
abortive, and which is, as it were, the cor-
nerstone of the whole arch of wholesome
civic life. This is the spirit of those pro-
gressive citizens who hold the interests of
their community at heart, while having a
share in its affairs and government — the
spirit of loyalty to ideals in public and
professional as well as private life.
Among the citizens of Stamford who have
exemplified this spirit in their careers is
Galen A. Carter, who holds a prominent
position, junior member of the firm of
Fessenden & Carter, until the death of Mr.
Fessenden in 1908, and then senior mem-
ber of a new firm, still doing business
under the same firm name, until Novem-
ber, 1919, when Mr. Carter and Mr. War-
ren F. Cressy formed a new partnership
under the firm name of Carter & Cressy,
which firms for many years have held a
conspicuous position among the leaders
of the bar in Connecticut. Mr. Carter
has stood for all that we associate with
the highest traditions of the American
bar, and consistently adhered in his prac-
tice to the best standards of his profes-
sion.
Galen A. Carter is a member of a family
which has been conspicuous both in old
and New England, the surname being a
very ancient one. It appears in the early
Hundred Rolls and belongs to that great
class which is derived from occupations,
the original meaning in this case being
obvious. In America that branch of the
family from which Mr. Carter is de-
scended has resided in New York City for
several generations, and his grandfather,
Dr. Galen Carter, a native of Maine, stud-
ied medicine in Vergennes, Vermont, and
was a prominent physician in New York
many years. He was in active prac-
tice in New York up to the time of his
death which occurred at his home in the
year 1870.
One of his children was the Hon. Galen
A. Carter, Sr., father of the Mr. Carter
of this sketch, who was born in New York
City, June 21, 1832, and passed his child-
hood and early youth there. As a lad he
attended educational institutions in that
city and obtained a splendid education,
being eventually graduated from the Med-
ical School in connection with Columbia
College. After mature consideration,
however, he decided to follow a business
career instead of the professional one his
studies had opened to him, and accord-
ingly became connected with the New
York Stock Exchange, and was admitted
as a partner in the celebrated Wall street
concern of Jacob Little & Company. Mr.
Carter was for many years a prominent
figure on the Stock Exchange until his
retirement from business in the sixties.
He was also successfully engaged in a
198
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
mercantile business for some time. After
the death of his father, Dr. Carter, in
1870, Mr. Carter removed to Stamford,
Connecticut, and there took up his resi-
dence, remaining there until the close of
his life. Although he did not engage in
business after removing to Stamford, Mr.
Carter was far from spending his time in
idleness, turning his energies to excellent
account in the service of his adopted
community. He took a decidedly active
part in public affairs, and held many of-
fices in the gift of the city, among them
being that of burgess of the borough of
Stamford. In 1874 he was the successful
candidate of the Democratic party for the
office of State Senator from the Fairfield
county district, and in that office proved
himself a most capable and disinterested
public servant. Indeed all his public life
was marked by a large degree of that pro-
gressive spirit that has made Stamford a
city of importance in the commonwealth
of Connecticut. Mr. Carter was a man of
strong social instincts, and was a member
of several organizations of a fraternal and
social character. He was affiliated with
the Chi Phi fraternity while yet a stu-
dent in the Medical School at Columbia
University, and in Stamford was one of
the most prominent and influential mem-
bers of the Suburban Club.
Mr. Carter married, November 9, 1853,
Mary C. Davenport, born November 9,
1836, and died August 11, 1891, a daugh-
ter of Theodore and Harriet (Chesbor-
ough) Davenport, old and highly re-
spected residents of Stamford, and a
member of a prominent Connecticut fam-
ily. Mr. and Mrs. Carter were the parents
of the following children: 1. Edward B.
L., born December 13, 1855; educated at
St. John's Episcopal School, Stamford,
and then served as a deputy clerk in the
office of the State treasurer in Hartford
for four years, under James D. Smith, of
Stamford ; he then took up the business
of accounting, at a time when trained ac-
countants were comparatively few, and
became an expert in his line ; he did
a considerable business in auditing and
other accounting work for banks and
other large corporations ; a Republican in
politics, he took a great interest in pub-
lic affairs ; he was a man of strong re-
ligious beliefs, and was for many years a
member of St. Andrew's Episcopal.
Church, of Stamford, supporting liberally
the work of the parish and serving the
church in the office of vestryman and war-
den ; he married Anna S. Sanford, of
Stamford, by whom he had two children,
one of whom, Edna S. Carter, survives;
his death occurred December 13, 1918. 2.
Galen A., with whose career we are
here especially concerned. 3. Theodora,
who became the wife of Daniel F. Treacy,
of the firm of Davenport & Treacy, of
Stamford, manufacturers of pianofortes.
Galen A. Carter, son of Galen A., Sr.,
and Mary C. (Davenport) Carter, was
born November 23, 1857, in New York
City, and passed the first twelve years of
his life in that city. When he was twelve
years old, his parents came to Stamford
to live and since that time his life has
been associated with this flourishing com-
munity. For some time he attended St.
John's Episcopal School, but later re-
turned temporarily 'to New York for a
course in Packard's Business College and
was graduated from the latter institution
with the class of 1875. He was a young
man of strong intellectual tastes, and to
his temperament a legal career made a
strong appeal. Accordingly, on January
1, 1876, he entered the law office of Fer-
ris & Fessenden as a student and there
pursued his chosen subject to such good
purpose that he was admitted to the bar
of Connecticut in Bridgeport, 1880. For
seven years he practiced law with the
199
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
firm of Ferris & Fessenden, and then, in
1887, after the death of Mr. Ferris, he
formed a legal partnership with his old
chief, Samuel Fessenden, and the firm of
Fessenden & Carter was formed. In 1895
Homer S. Cummings was admitted into
the firm and the name became Fessenden,
Carter & Cummings. Five years later,
however, Mr. Cummings withdrew and
the old name was resumed. The death of
Mr. Fessenden in 1908 caused a reorgan-
ization of the old concern, and the present
partners formed a new firm under the
style of Fessenden & Carter, which was
retained up to November, 1919. This
concern has been for more than a gen-
eration one of the leading law firms of
Fairfield county, and much of the most
important litigation of the region has
passed through its office. In addition to
his private practice, Mr. Carter has served
the community in a number of legal ca-
pacities and brought to that service his
great powers and professional knowledge.
In the year 1883, when the City Court of
Stamford was organized, he was ap-
pointed assistant prosecuting attorney,
and two years later became prosecuting
attorney. In the year intervening, 1884,
he was also appointed assistant State at-
torney, holding the double office until
1913, when he resigned the former, and
has since continued in the latter capacity.
During this period Mr. Carter has enjoyed
a great and growing reputation, and now
occupies a conspicuous place among the
leaders of the Connecticut bar. His abil-
ity and high sense of professional ethics
are acknowledged by all, not only among
his colleagues of the bar but by the com-
munity-at-large. He is a man of strong
character and magnetic personality,
whom it is a pleasure to know, keen-eyed
and firm-lipped, a man of power and en-
ergy, and withal one who appreciates the
wholesomeness of the outdoor world and
makes it a large part of his interest in
life. He is, like his father, possessed of
strong social instincts and feelings, and
is a member of Union Lodge, No. 5, An-
cient Free and Accepted Masons, of
Stamford ; the Suburban Club, of Stam-
ford ; the Stamford Yacht Club ; the East
Side Rod and Gun Club ; and the Benevo-
lent and Protective Order of Elks. He is
keenly interested in matters of art, es-
pecially in connection with encouraging
dramatic art of the highest type, and is
a director of the Stamford Theatre.
Galen A. Carter was united in marriage,
April 12, 1888, with Anna G. Smith, a
daughter of William D. and Esther M.
(Smith) Smith of Stamford. To Mr. and
Mrs. Carter one child has been born, Ken-
neth W. Carter, born January 23, 1889.
Kenneth W. Carter was educated at a
private schol in Stamford, and upon com-
pleting his studies there entered the em-
ploy of J. D. Smith & Company, a
brokerage firm of New York City; later
he became an electrician in the employ of
the Fire Department of Stamford ; at the
time of the entrance of the United States
into the great European conflict, he en-
listed in the National army and was sent
with the 90th Division, American Expe-
ditionary Forces, to France ; he was in
Germany with the United States forces of
occupation, detailed to that country until
June, 1919, and has since returned and is
now engaged in banking.
Galen A. Carter has been noted espe-
cially throughout the State for the care-
ful manner in which it is his custom
to draw complaints in criminal actions.
He is also exceedingly careful in prepar-
ing his civil pleadings. None of the minor
details, which are so often overlooked,
escape his attention in the preparation of
a case. In court, his ability to group the
points in a case in a telling manner is
striking, but he never indulges in flowery
200
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
rhetoric, confining himself strictly to the
points at issue and pressing these in such
a logical and forceful manner as to carry
conviction that his conclusions are cor-
rect. One unique characteristic of his
policy is that he uniformly refuses to dis-
cuss his cases with the newspapers.
Mr. Carter has always been active in
political work, but with no thought of pre-
ferment for himself, although he was a
member of the Common Council of the
city of Stamford for two terms. His in-
terest is that of a public-spirited citizen
who considers it the duty of every man
to take an active part in governmental af-
fairs within the compass of his abilities.
He has ever been a staunch Democrat,
and in 1896, when the party became di-
vided over the so called "Free Silver"
issue, Mr. Carter exerted himself to the
utmost to hold it together at least on
local issues, leaving its members free to
follow their convictions regarding the
question of the free coinage of silver. Mr.
Carter is esteemed by his fellow-citizens
as a man of broad views and sympathies,
who has always been ready to aid every
improvement that promises to enhance
the public welfare.
SMITH, William Deming,
Merchant, Useful Citizen.
Among the most useful men in the early
colonies were the Smiths, who made all
the nails used in the construction of
buildings and nearly every implement of
every sort employed in the rude life of
the pioneers. A century previous, the
country people in England had taken
surnames, and it fell out that many who
were smiths by occupation took the word
for a patronymic, and in this manner the
name of Smith has been derived. In 1662
there were three brothers bearing this
name who came to New England. One of
these settled in New London, one in
Windsor, and the third, Simon Smith, set-
tled in Haddam, Connecticut. It is from
the latter immigrant that most of the
Middlesex county families are descended.
Jeremiah G. Smith, grandfather of Mrs.
Anna G. (Smith) Carter, was a native of
Chatham, Connecticut, and was a cele-
brated sea captain of the early days, as
many of his ancestors had been. He
crossed the ocean several times; in 1851
he came to Stamford, Connecticut, where
he died. He married Annah G. Hurd, of
Chatham.
William D. Smith, son of Jeremiah G.
and Annah G. (Hurd) Smith, was born
in Chatham, Connecticut, February 17,
1837. He attended the public schools of
Middle Haddam and Stamford. In his
youth he felt the inherited desire for a
seafaring life, and at the time he was six-
teen years of age he had already crossed
the ocean. For thirteen years he contin-
ued to follow the sea and rose to be cap-
tain of a boat in 1865. In the latter year
he came to Stamford, Connecticut, and
purchased the business of Hoyt & Pond,
a coal and wood yard at Waterside. He
continued in this business until 1900, in
which year he disposed of his business in-
terests intending to retire from active
cares. But Mr. Smith was not the type
of man who could be happy in idleness,
and a few years later he was elected
president of the Citizens' Savings Bank,
of Stamford, an institution of which he
had long been a director. In this office
his business experience and good judg-
ment proved of great value ; he also
served as a director of the First National
Bank, of Stamford, and of the Woodland
Cemetery Association.
Mr. Smith was a Democrat in politics,
and served for several years as a member
of the Board of Burgesses of the borough,
and also served several terms as coun-
201
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
cilman in the early days of the city gov-
ernment. On one occasion Mr. Smith was
nominated without his consent, and al-
though he had announced that he would
refuse to be a candidate his name was re-
tained upon the ticket and he was elected
to office. He refused to accept the office,
however, being a man of his word. He
refused numerous requests to become a
candidate of his party for the Legislature
and other offices. He preferred to do his
share in the role of a private citizen, and
was ever willing to aid in any welfare
movement for the benefit of the public.
"It was said he never made an enemy but
all who knew him were his friends. He
was kind hearted and generous, always
courteous in his business relations." Mr.
Smith was remarkably well informed on
all the current topics of the day, and in
spite of his advanced years at the time of
his death he was in possession of all his
faculties. Quiet and unostentatious in
his manner, he was domestic in his tastes
and was happiest when surrounded by his
family at his own fireside. His charities
were many, and they were given in such
a quiet, plain way that few, except those
who benefited directly, knew of his good-
ness.
Mr. Smith married Esther M. Smith,
and they were the parents of two daugh-
ters : Susan W., deceased ; and Anna G.,
wife of Hon. Galen A. Carter, of Stam-
ford, Connecticut.
BARTRAM, Fioyd Bell,
Lawyer, Public Official.
The Bartram patronymic is of ancient
English origin, and is traced to the reign
of King Henry I. It is derived from the
baptismal name of Bertram. There was
a William Bartram who founded the pri-
ory of Brinkburne, in Northumberland
county, England. The Bartram family,
of which Floyd B. Bartram is a scion,
descends from John Bartram.
(I) John Bartram came from England
and settled in the Massachusetts Bay Col-
ony, thence removing to Stratford, in
1668. He died in Stratford, in 1676. He
had a son. John (2), of whom further.
(II) John (2) Bartram, son of John (1)
Bartram, was born about 1665, and lived
in Stratford. Early in life he removed
to Fairfield, Connecticut, and was made a
freeman there, March 18, 1690. He mar-
ried Sarah Gray, daughter of Jacob Gray,
and their son, David, is mentioned below.
(III) David Bartram, son of John (2)
and Sarah (Gray) Bartram, was born De-
cember 13, 1702. He was the pioneer of
the family in Redding, Connecticut, where
he lived as early as 1733. He was a
farmer and a surveyor, and lived in that
part of Redding which was called Lone-
town. The Christian name of his wife
was Mehitable, and their son, James, is of
further mention.
(IV) James Bartram, son of David and
Mehitable Bartram, was born April 23,
1738. He lived in Redding, and served in
the Revolutionary War. His wife was
Hannah Morehouse, and they were the
parents of twenty-one children, ten of
whom grew to maturity, among them,
Aaron, of whom further.
(V) Aaron Bartram, son of James and
Hannah (Morehouse) Bartram, was born
about 1784, in Redding, where he lived
during his lifetime, and followed the oc-
cupation of shoemaker. He had a son,
Aaron (2), of whom further.
(VI) Aaron (2) Bartram, son of Aaron
(1) Bartram, was a shoemaker, as was his
father. He was born June 28, 1827, in
Redding, and died in i860. Aaron (2)
Bartram is buried at Zion Hill Cemetery,
Wilton, Connecticut. On May 28. 1851,
he married Delia A. Gregory, daughter of
Elijah and Orpha (Godfrey) Gregory, of
202
lie American Historical Society
Fna by£G Williams & Bra NY
}&L/b<L>t~'CZ^fr%4.-
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Weston. Mrs. Bartram was born June
16, 1827. They had a son, Elijah, of
whom further.
(VII) Elijah Gregory Bartram, son of
Aaron (2) and Delia A. (Gregory) Bar-
tram, was born in Redding, May 23, 1855.
The public schools afforded him his edu-
cation, and after the death of his father
he came to New Canaan, where he went
to work in a saw mill. Mr. Bartram was
connected with this industry during the
rest of his lifetime, being superintendent
for many years. About 191 5 he retired
from active business, and built his present
home in the Tallmadge Hill section. He
married Sarah A. Bell, born September
26, 1859, daughter of Harmon and Mary
Amelia (Scofield) Bell. Mr. and Mrs.
Bartram were the parents of three chil-
dren: Clayton Gregory, of Southport;
Floyd Bell, of further mention ; and Stan-
ley Bronson, of New Canaan. The fam-
ily are attendants of the Congregational
church.
(VIII) Floyd Bell Bartram, second
child of Elijah G. and Sarah A. (Bell)
Bartram, was born in Darien, Connecti-
cut, September 3, 1882. He attended the
Tallmadge Hill School, and the schools
of New Canaan, and for two years was a
student in Moody's school, at Mount Her-
mon, Massachusetts, working to meet the
expense of his tuition in this institution.
After two years of special work in Col-
gate University, where he worked to pay
his own way, he studied law in the New
York Law School, whence he was gradu-
ated with the degree of LL. B., in June,
1908. Admitted to the bar in July, 1909,
he was for a year associated with Judge
Martin J. Gray, of Stamford, Judge Gray's
death ending this relation. Mr. Bartram
then formed a partnership with Benja-
min H. Mead, under the firm name of
Bartram & Mead, and so has continued to
the present time in the general practice
of law. Stanley Mead was admitted to
the firm in 1917. They have many cor-
porations and prominent citizens of Stam-
ford and its vicinity among their clients,
and the firm has assumed a place among
the best known legal firms of the district.
Mr. Bartram is a director and the secre-
tary of the Title Insurance and Mortgage
Company, of Stamford and Greenwich,
and a director of numerous other corpor-
ations for which his firm is counsel.
He is a Democrat in political faith, and
in 1918 and 1920 was the candidate of his
party for the office of mayor of Stamford.
In the latter year, when a Republican
•landslide carried even Democratic strong-
holds, Mr. Bartram ran about twenty-five
hundred votes ahead of his ticket. He
has always been active in public affairs,
and in Stamford is known as the cham-
pion of clean, progressive government,
respected for his able defence of his con-
victions. Since October, 1919, he has
been president of the Stamford Chamber
of Commerce, Inc., and during his term
of office the membership has increased
from about one hundred seventy-five to
over five hundred members.
Mr. Bartram is a member of the New
Canaan Congregational Church. He fra-
ternizes with the Masonic order, being a
member of Union Lodge, No. 5, Free and
Accepted Masons ; and with the Benevo-
lent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge
No. 899; and is a member of the Subur-
ban Club. He is a lover of outdoor sports,
especially fishing and golf.
Floyd B. Bartram was married March
J7» I9I3> to Frieda Hohnstrater, daugh-
ter of William and Meta (Schaar) Hohn-
strater, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, and
they are the parents of one son, William,
born August 24, 1914.
203
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
BELL, Clarence Winthrop,
Banker, Man of Affairs.
The Bell family have long been honor-
ably represented in the annals of Fair-
field county, and particularly in the city
of Stamford. In the professions and in
the public service, members of this family
are found in foremost places. Each gen-
eration has succeeded in establishing a
record that is an inspiration to the com-
ing generations. Since 1641, in which
year Francis Bell, the immigrant ances-
tor, settled in Stamford, there has been a
Bell in a representative position in the
public life of the city. Francis Bell was
the first representative from Stamford to
the General Assembly, and his descend-
ant, Thaddeus Bell, held a like honor as
first representative to the Legislature
from the town of Darien. His grand-
father, Thaddeus Bell, was representative
from Stamford also. The Bell family is
now ably represented by Clarence W.
Bell, banker, of Stamford, who was born
June 5, 1869, in Darien, son of Thaddeus
(3) and Caroline E. (Morehouse) Bell.
(I) Francis Bell, the immigrant, a na-
tive of Yorkshire, England, came with Sir
Richard Saltonstall, to Massachusetts in
1630. He located in Stamford in 1641,
being one of the original twenty-nine pro-
prietors. Stamford was purchased from
the New Haven Colony, and was first
called by the Indian name, Rippowam.
Francis Bell received a grant of seven
acres, and was prominent in affairs from
the outset. He was representative, Oc-
tober 27, 1641, the first to serve in the
community, and was lieutenant of the
Militia Company. In 1644 he was chosen
to go to Boston to bring back a minister,
in which mission he was successful, and
in 1670 was in charge of building the new
meeting house. He was selectman from
1666 to 1671, and died January 8, 1679.
His wife, Rebecca, died May 17, 1684.
(II) Jonathan Bell, son of Francis and
Rebecca Bell, was born in September,
1641, and was the first white child born
in Stamford. He served as selectman for
fourteen years, and was representative
to the General Court for twenty-six years.
In 1672 he was commissioned lieutenant
of the Militia Company, and captain in
1698. He died March II, 1698-99. He
married (first) August 22, 1662, Mercy
Crane, daughter of Jasper Crane, and she
died October 26, 1671. They were the
parents of Jonathan (2), of further men-
tion.
(III) Jonathan (2) Bell, son of Jona
than (1) and Mercy (Crane) Bell, was
born in the year 1663. He was town
clerk from 1689 to io99J lieutenant of the
Militia Company in 1692, and representa-
tive from 1712-1719. He married (first)
March 22, 1693, Grace Ketchell, who died
the same year.
(IV) Jonathan (3) Bell, son of Jona-
than (2) and Grace (Ketchell) Bell, was
born December 15, 1693, and served nine
years as selectman. He was ensign and
active in church matters. He was one of
the number forming the Middlesex Soci-
ety, and sang in the choir. He married,
January 24, 1716, Eunice Reed, daughter
of Thomas and Mary (Olmstead) Reed,
of Norwalk, and they were the parents of
Thaddeus, of further mention.
(V) Thaddeus Bell, son of Jonathan
(3) and Eunice (Reed) Bell, was born
March 31, 1728, and was a resident of Ox
Ridge. He was a farmer, and served in
1775 on a committee of safety, and in
1777 on a committee to care for the fam-
ilies of soldiers who were in service. On
December 14, 1753, he married Mary
Leeds, daughter of Cary and Martha
(Holly) Leeds.
204
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
(VI) Thaddeus (2) Bell, son of Thad-
deus (1) and Mary (Leeds) Bell, was
born March 18, 1759, and died October
31, 1851. He served in the Revolution-
ary War, with the rank of orderly ser-
geant, and was taken prisoner at New
York. After his exchange he enlisted a
second time. He was representative to
the Legislature in 1805 and served for
sixteen consecutive years. He was one of
the committee to set off the eastern part
of Stamford, and the rest of the commit-
tee wished to name it Bellville, but Mr.
Bell declined the honor. "He was on
his way back to the capital when he met
a friend who had just returned from a
visit to the Isthmus of Darien, and this
gave him the idea which resulted in the
town being named Darien." The follow-
ing year Mr. Bell represented Darien in
the Legislature. He married, May 4,
1780, Elizabeth How, daughter of James
and Sarah (Waring) How, and they were
the parents of Holly, of further mention.
(VII) Holly Bell, son of Thaddeus (2)
and Elizabeth (How) Bell, was born in
Darien, where he died, in 1887. He served
as representative for five terms in the
Legislature, and was station agent at
Darien for a number of years. Previous
to the building of the railroad, Holly Bell
ran a sloop to New York City. He mar-
ried Abigail Scofield, and they were the
parents of Thaddeus (3) Bell, of further
mention.
(VIII) Thaddeus (3) Bell, son of Holly
and Abigail (Scofield) Bell, was born
January 20, 183 1, in Darien, and died in
1909. He received his education in the
district schools, and his early life was
identified with the ship-building industry.
During the Civil War he was commis-
sioned as acting paymaster on a United
States monitor, and after the war re-
sumed his ship-building business in Nor-
walk. For many years he was town
treasurer, and also served as town clerk
until shortly before his death. Among
other public offices which he held were
selectman, and representative in the Leg-
islature. Mr. Bell was one of the leading
men of Darien and of Fairfield county.
The success which he achieved was not
an accident, but the result of constant
achievement and application of effort.
Mr. Bell married, in 1854, Caroline E.
Morehouse, born January 5, 1833, daugh-
ter of H. and Lydia (Mather) Morehouse,
a descendant of Rev. Dr. Moses and Rev.
Richard Mather, and of the immigrant,
John Mather. Mr. and Mrs. Bell were
the parents of the following children:
Grace L. ; Alfred B., who resides in Den-
ver, Colorado ; and Clarence W., of fur-
ther mention. The family were members
of the Congregational church, which Mr.
Bell served as treasurer.
(IX) Clarence W. Bell, son of Thad-
deus (3) and Caroline E. (Morehouse)
Bell, attended the schools of Darien and
the Norwalk High School. Subsequent
to his graduation, he entered the employ
of the First National Bank of Stamford
as messenger. The worthy qualities of
his forebears seemed to have been im-
bibed in his character, and he steadily
progressed upward through the various
positions until he held the position of
vice-president and cashier, and was also
a member of the board of directors. He
continues in this office, and in July, 1919,
was active in effecting the consolidation
of the Stamford National Bank with the
First National Bank, under the title of
the First-Stamford National Bank. He
is also a director of the Home Bank and
Trust Company, of Darien ; director and
treasurer of the Western Connecticut
Title and Trust Company, of Stamford ;
was president of the Stollwerck Choco-
late Company, of Stamford, during the
World War, when the company was un-
205
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
der the control of the alien property cus- spelled Chamberlin, Chamberlayne, Cham-
todian.
Mr. Bell has been chairman of the
Board of Finance of the town of Darien
for ten years. It seems very just and
fitting that a member of this old and dis-
tinguished family, whose antecedents
were leaders in the growth of the com-
munity, should occupy these positions of
trust and responsibility in this generation.
The fraternal orders of Mr. Bell are :
Union Lodge, No. 5, Free and Accepted
Masons ; Suburban Club ; Woodway
Country Club ; and Wee Burn Golf Club,
of Stamford.
Mr. Bell married, June 6, 1900, Louise
Austen, daughter of Theodore W. Austen,
of Darien, and they are the parents of a
son, Roger Winthrop Bell, born January
20, 1905. The family attend the Congre-
gational church at Darien.
CHAMBERLAIN, Robert Linton,
Real Estate Promoter, Banker.
In the banking circles of Greenwich,
Mr. Chamberlain, as president of the
Putnam Trust Company, occupies a fore-
most place, and as president of the Green-
wich Real Estate Company he has been
a factor of importance in the develop-
ment of one of the city's leading inter-
ests. In the fraternal and social circles
of his home community he has long been
a figure of prominence.
The Chamberlain family derives de-
scent from Count de Tankerville, of
Tankerville Castle, Normandy, who ac-
companied William the Conqueror to
England. John, son of Count de Tanker-
ville, was Lord Chamberlain to Henry
the First of England. Richard, son of
John, filled the same place under King
Stephen, and the word descriptive of his
office became the family name. That
name has been and still is variously
berlaine and Chamberlain. The escutch-
eon of the family is as follows :
Arms — First and Fourth: Gules, an escutcheon
argent, in an orle of eight mullets or. Second and
Third : Gules, a chevron between three escallops
or.
Crest — An ass's head out of a ducal coronet.
Mottoes — Mors potior stat macula. Prodesse
quavt conspice. Virtute nihil murium.
Early in the seventeenth century a
branch of the family was transplanted
to Massachusetts by Richard Chamber-
lin, others of the name and their descend-
ants finding homes in other colonies.
Representatives of the family have long
been resident in Pennsylvania.
Robert Linton Chamberlain was born
September 15, 1871, in Cleveland, Ohio,
and is a son of Robert Linton, Sr., and
Ellen Steele (Perkins) Chamberlain, the
former a native of Allentown, Pennsyl-
vania. Robert Linton Chamberlain, Jr.,
was educated at the Knapp School in
Plymouth, Massachusetts, up to a certain
point, going then to Santa Barbara, Cal-
ifornia, where he attended the Belmont
School. He then returned to the East
and for a time lived in Mamaroneck, New
York.
About twenty years ago Mr. Chamber-
lain became a resident of Greenwich,
Connecticut, establishing himself there in
the real estate business. He was very
successful, developing what is now known
as the Putnam Terrace property, having
previously organized the Greenwich Real
Estate Company, of which he became
president. This concern developed not
only the Putnam Terrace property, but
also several other important tracts. In
1914 Mr. Chamberlain enlarged his field
of action by identifying himself with the
banking interests of Greenwich. In as-
sociation with others he organized the
Putnam Trust Company, an enterprise
206
^Sw ^
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
which prospered from the start. In 1916 1892, Rose I. Brady, daughter of John F.
Mr. Chamberlain succeeded to his pres-
ent office of president of the institution,
which from the beginning has been
largely indebted to him for its steadily
increasing prosperity.
The other interests of Mr. Chamberlain
are numerous. He is secretary of the
Greenwich Highway Commission and the
Putnam Cemetery Association, and vice-
president of the Young Men's Christian
Association, and trustee of the Diamond
Hill Methodist Episcopal Church. He is
treasurer of the Greenwich Chamber of
Commerce, a trustee of the Young Wo-
men's Christian Association of Green-
wich, and one of the directors of the
Greenwich Social Service Society. In all
matters of public interest, Mr. Chamber-
lain has had the part of a public-spirited,
progressive citizen. Especially was this
apparent during the World War, when in
addition to his support of the work of
all the relief and social organizations he
served on the Greenwich War Bureau, as
chairman of the Citizens' Committee of
Greenwich, and as chairman of the in-
struction committee of the local draft
board. To the exacting duties of these
positions he gave largely of his time and
effort.
In fraternal circles, Mr. Chamberlain
is extremely active. He affiliates with
Acacia Lodge, No. 85, Free and Accepted
Masons ; and is a charter member of Ar-
mour Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, of
Port Chester, New York. He also holds
membership in Bethlehem Commandery,
Knights Templar, of Mount Vernon, New
York; Lafayette Council, of Bridgeport;
Mecca Temple, Mystic Shrine, New York
City ; and the Indian Harbor Yacht Club,
of Greenwich. His other clubs are the
Sound Beach Golf, the Riverside Field
and Marine, and the Coscob Tennis.
Mr. Chamberlain married, in August,
and Ann Brady, of Mamaroneck, New
York, and they are the parents of one son,
Robert Linton (3), born September 21,
1893, and now a student in Storr's Agri-
cultural College. Robert Linton (3)
Chamberlain served seventeen months in
the United States army during the World
War, enlisting in Squadron A, which was
a part of the 27th Division. Nine months
of his enlistment were spent in the Amer-
ican Expeditionary Forces, and he saw a
large share of the stirring action of this
noted division.
To the honorable title of a useful cit-
izen, Mr. Chamberlain has an indisput-
able claim, for he has been largely in-
strumental in the upbuilding of a num-
ber of the most essential interests of his
home community.
SHERRILL, George,
Physician, Hospital Official.
Dr. George Sherrill has for many years
been prominently identified with the med-
ical profession in Stamford. He was
born July 28, 1867, in Delhi, Delaware
county, New York, son of George (1)
and Kate E. (Telford) Sherrill.
The name of Sherrill is one of the old
Saxon names in England, antedating the
Norman Conquest (1066). Like most
ancient names it was spelled in various
ways, Sherwill, Sherry and Sherill. Ac-
cording to Harrison, an authority on the
derivation of surnames, it signified "a
dweller by the clear spring." It is formed
of the word "scir," meaning clear or pure,
and Will, originally "willya," meaning
spring or a small body of water. It
therefore belongs to the class of names
derived from location. The family is an
old one in Devonshire, and was prominent
there. Thomas Sherwill was mayor of
Plymouth in 1617-18, and in 1627-28, and
207
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
in the latter year also represented the city
in Parliament. He died during his term
and was succeeded as mayor by his
brother, Nicholas.
(I) Samuel Sherrill, immigrant an-
cestor of the family in America, was born
in Ireland, about 1649, his parents with
other Devonshire families having emi-
grated there. Most of the immigrants,
the Sherrills among the number, not find-
ing the new country satisfactory, returned
to England. According to an old family
tradition : "A vessel was cast away on
the shore at Easthampton, Long Island,
and a company of girls, among others,
visited the wreck. One of the ladies said
on returning that she had seen the hand-
somest man she ever saw. This was in-
timated to the shipwrecked mariner and
resulted in an acquaintance and marriage
of the parties." Samuel Sherrill is the
only one of that name mentioned in the
Easthampton records for 1683-1698.
When he came to the town is not known,
but it is the opinion of Charles H. Sher-
rill, Jr., the family genealogist, that he
arrived in Easthampton between 1670
and 1678. On the tax list for 1683 his
property is assessed for £102 6s and 8d.
Three years later he was one of nine who
petitioned the governor to compel the
town to set out land to them. It seems
that the freeholders of the town were un-
willing at that time to admit any more
proprietors.
(II) Recompence Sherrill, son of Sam-
uel Sherrill, was born about 1678, in East-
hampton, and married, October 1, 1713,
for his second wife, Margaret Cady. He
was a prominent citizen of the town, and
was a member of Captain Matthias Bur-
nett's company of the town militia in
1715. On April 5, 1719, he joined the
church.
(III) Jacob Sherrill, son of Recom-
pence and Margaret (Cady) Sherrill, was
born in 1722, and died in July, 1801. He
married for his second wife, Clemens
Huntting, born February 8, 1738, died
August 8, 1820, daughter of Deacon John
and Clemens Huntting. The name of
Jacob Sherrill appears on the list of As-
sociates of Easthampton, dated May 5,
1775-
(IV) Jonathan Sherrill, son of Jacob
Sherrill, was born in Easthampton, in
October, 1769, and died in Greenville,
New York, April 14, 1851, where he had
resided for almost fifty years. He mar-
ried, in 1795, Lavinia Reed, who was born
August 5, 1775, and died January 11, 1845.
(V) Lewis Sherrill, son of Jonathan
and Lavinia (Reed) Sherrill, was born
July 24, 1801, in Easthampton, and died
March 9, 1889. He married Esther Ford,
born March 21, 1801, died January 19,
1872.
(VI) George Sherrill, son of Lewis and
Esther (Ford) Sherrill, was born Febru-
ary 2, 1830, and was educated in the pub-
lic schools. He went to New York City
to work, and by his energy and ambition,
combined with his excellent business
judgment, he forged his way ahead until
he became a member of the firm operat-
ing the Knickerbocker Mills. Mr. Sher-
rill remained identified with this enter-
prise in an executive manner until his
death. He married, February 17, 1861,
Kate E. Telford, born March 6, 1836, died
in 1910; he died in February, 1903. Mr.
and Mrs. Sherrill were the parents of the
following children : Etta, born April 6,
1862, deceased ; Lizzie, born October 30,
1864, deceased; George, of further men-
tion ; Nelson, born June 23, 1872, now a
resident of Orange, New Jersey.
(VII) George (2) Sherrill, son of
George (1) and Kate E. (Telford) Sher-
rill, attended the schools of Jersey City
and the Hasbrouck Institute, matriculat-
ing at Williams College, graduating in
208
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
1888. He then pursued a course at the
Columbia University Medical School, fin-
ishing in 1891. For the subsequent two
years Dr. Sherrill was an interne in the
New York Hospital, and in 1894 removed
to Stamford, Connecticut, and there en-
gaged in practice. For just a quarter of a
century Dr. Sherrill has been located in
that city, and for twenty years he has
served as medical examiner of the city.
Dr. Sherrill is a member of the staff of
the Stamford Hospital, and also of the
Stamford Children's Home. He is a mem-
ber of the Stamford Medical Society ; the
Fairfield County Medical Society ; and the
Connecticut State Medical Society. His
clubs are : The Suburban Club ; the
Woodway Country Club, and the Stam-
ford Yacht Club. '
Dr. Sherrill married, November 5, 1896,
Elvy Perkins, daughter of Henry Per-
kins, of Stamford, and their children are :
Catherine, born March 12, 1899; George,
Jr., born September 26, 1902; Russell,
born January 26, 1908.
SPRINGER, William A.,
Musical Composer, Soldier.
By the musical world the appearance
of Mr. Springer's name will be greeted
with the reverence and admiration which
for a third of a century have been recog-
nized as his just tribute. By the friends
and neighbors of his home community
they will be rendered with personal pride
in their distinguished fellow-citizen min-
gled with feelings of sincere regard and
cordial good will.
The race of the Springers is one of the
most ancient in Germany, tracing its de-
scent from Charlemagne, Emperor of the
West, and thus carrying its line back
through thirteen centuries to the remoter
regions of history.
Louis the First, Count of Thuringia,
Conn— 8— 14 209
was a descendant of Charlemagne and a
relative of Conrad the Second, Emperor
of Germany.
Louis the Second, son of Louis the
First, was born in 1042, and was Count of
Thuringia and builder of the famous
castle of the Wartburg. He was a mili-
tary officer of the emperor, Henry the
Fourth, and on a false charge was wrong-
fully imprisoned in the old castle of
Giebeckenstein, near Halle, one hundred
feet above the river Saale. In 1089, after
two years of close confinement, he made
his escape by springing from the lofty
battlements of the castle into the river.
Coming from the water apparently un-
hurt, he was taken before the emperor
who, surprised at his courage, pardoned
him and gave him the surname of the
Springer. From this fact is derived the
family name. His descendants are found
in almost every country of Europe and in
almost every State of the American
Union.
The escutcheon of the Springers is as
follows:
Arms — To the first and fourth, sable, a stag
springing forward, countee passant, or, sustained
by a hill, vert. To the second and third, argent,
to the barry, azure.
Helmet — Crowned.
Crest — Stag issuing from between two wings
expanded and conjoined, cut evenly off. Dexter
of sable on or, sinister of argent on azure.
Lambrequins — Conformed to the colors and met-
als on the escutcheon.
Charles Christopher Springer, the first
of the family to come to the New World,
was the son of the then Swedish ambas-
sador to Germany and emigrated to the
colonies about 1675, settling with the
company of Swedes which he found es-
tablished at what is now Wilmington,
Delaware.
Tillinghast Springer, father of William
A. Springer, was for years a well known
sea captain. He was also a violinist and
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
singer, and it was from him that his son
inherited his love of music. Prior to the
War of 1812, Captain Springer was mas-
ter of one of a line of packets plying be-
tween the Kennebec river and New Eng-
land seaports, and when the vessel
chanced to be wind-bound or becalmed
the passengers passed many an hour
dancing on the quarter-deck to the sweet
strains of his violin. Captain Springer
married .
William A. Springer, son of Tilling-
hast Springer, was born in Augusta,
Maine. He was reared on a farm, re-
ceiving his education in the public
schools of his birthplace. He developed
at a very early age a passionate fondness
for music, but his environment was such
as to prevent him from studying the art
in which in after years he was to achieve
international distinction. In 1857 Mr.
Springer went to Medway, Massachu-
setts, where he found employment in a
boot factory. During the winters he at-
tended singing schools, becoming quite
proficient as a reader of music. In 1861
the first original expression of his gen-
ius was called forth by the initial tragedy
of the Civil War, the death of Colonel
Ellsworth, who was shot by General
Jackson at the Marshall House, Alexan-
dria, Virginia. Under the influence of
the grief and indignation inspired by the
heartrending event, Mr. Springer com-
posed a quartette entitled "The Memory
of Ellsworth."
In 1862 Mr. Springer went to Franklin,
where he took lessons of Professor Han-
del Pond, at the same time singing in
local church choirs. In 1863 he went to
Brookfield, where he was chorister in the
choir of the Unitarian church. In 1864
he enlisted in the Forty-second Regiment,
Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, and
proceeded to the seat of war. Service in
the field, however, did but act as a stim-
ulus to his musical genius, and while
there he composed a quartette which was
rendered at many a soldier's grave as an
expression of the sorrow of his surviving
comrades.
In the spring of 1865 Mr. Springer went
to Marlboro, where he became a member
of the Union Church choir, and there,
under the directorship of L. S. Brigham,
continued to sing for a number of years.
Upon Mr. Brigham's resignation he was
succeeded by Mr. Springer, who held the
position of conductor for seven years.
At the end of that time he resigned and
for some four years sang in the choir of
the Unitarian church. After that, he
was for two years chorister in the First
Baptist Church.
During all these years, with their many
changes, Mr. Springer was more or less
engaged in writing music, his composi-
tions consisting of church anthems, church
tunes, memorial hymns and secular songs.
Among his most popular works is his
patriotic allegory, "The Nation's Strug-
gle," depicting the four years of the Civil
War. The presentation of this work
elicited the following resolutions from
Post No. 43, Grand Army of the Repub-
lic:
Headquarters,
John A. Rawlins Post 43, G. A. R.,
Marlboro, Mass., Feb. 3, 1885.
At the regular meeting held this evening the fol-
lowing preamble and resolutions were unanimously
adopted :
Whereas, We have heard so many words of
praise for the entertainment presented by the com-
mittee of this Post, in which they placed upon the
stage the patriotic allegory written by Comrade
W. A. Springer, and published by White, Smith
and Company, in which the allegorical and real-
istic scenes of the great struggle which saved the
nation and freed the slave were presented ; there-
fore
Resolved, That we tender our thanks to the com-
mittee and to those who so ably took part in it,
both of our own members and all others, and we
would cordially recommend to any Post that de-
10
'AA.
d U:
^
l-^
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
sires to spend a pleasant and an instructive eve-
ning to procure the patriotic allegory as published
by White, Smith and Company, as covering more
features of interest than have ever been presented
before.
Attest: J. W. Barnes,
Adjutant.
The crowning effort of Mr. Springer's
genius was his cantata, "The Night of
Wonders, or the Birth of Christ." This
work was written by special request of
the publishers and presented in Marlboro
in 1886. A revised edition was presented
in 1897 and is now published in London,
England. Among the many commenda-
tions bestowed upon it was the following
from the Rev. L. B. Goodrich, of Marl-
boro, the words forming part of a letter
addressed to Mr. Springer:
The idea is good, excellent; the music bright
and pleasing to all. Some of the chorus work es-
pecially so. It is by far the best thing of the
sort to which I have ever listened.
Of every phase of the career of William
A. Springer the art he has so devotedly
worshipped has formed a part, and at
every period of his life he has made it a
power for good. As a soldier he caused it
to pay tribute to his departed comrades,
and to cheer, console and inspire those
who were still contending on the field.
In the many years of peace which have
followed he has made it a means of min-
istering to and uplifting his fellowmen
and of strengthening the bond of friend-
ship between the nations of the earth.
Mr. Springer married Eliza Augusta
Winter, a native of Farmingdale, Maine.
Winter is one of the season names and
has been used from a very early period.
Two families bearing the name were
planted in New England during the sev-
enteenth century. One was of English
origin and the other German. In the case
of the latter the name was translated.
Mr. Springer and his wife were the par-
ents of a son : Frederick A., a sketch of
whom follows.
SPRINGER, Frederick A.,
Textile Manufacturer.
Trained in textile lines in a famous
technical institution of his native New
England, Mr. Springer has confined his
industrial connections to New England
enterprises, with the exception of a short
time spent in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
and is now an official of the Mianus Man-
ufacturing Company. Son of William A.
and Eliza Augusta (Winter) Springer, he
was born in Marlboro, Massachusetts,
January 14, 1866.
He received his early education in the
schools of his native town. He then took
a special course in textile designing at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Mr. Springer's first position was in the
designing department of the Sanford
Mills, Sanford, Maine, where he remained
a little over a year. At the end of that
time he went to Philadelphia, Pennsyl-
vania, where he opened a designing stu-
dio, but after fifteen months returned to
Sanford, and for about ten years was in
charge of the designing department of
the mills. Their exhibit of textiles, de-
signed by Mr. Springer, was awarded a
gold medal at the Chicago World's Fair.
In February, 1895, Mr. Springer moved
to North Mianus, in the town of Green-
wich, Connecticut, and associated himself
with the Mianus Manufacturing Com-
pany, and since 1897 has held the offices
of treasurer and general manager. They
manufacture plush carriage robes, imi-
tation fur fabrics, cloaking materials, and
overcoatings. Their trade is largely do-
mestic, but includes some exportation to
Canada, and their products are sold di-
rectly to the cutting-up trade and also
211
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
through various agencies. The number
of their employees averages about three
hundred.
Among the other business interests of
Mr. Springer is a directorship in the
Greenwich Trust Company. He is a
member of the Greenwich and Stamford
Chambers of Commerce, and was for-
merly president of the Protective Tariff
League of Sanford, which had at that
time about two hundred members. He
was one of the organizers and the first
secretary of the Sanford Loan and Build-
ing Association. At the present time he
is one of the managers of the American
Protective Tariff League of New York,
also holding the office of manager for
Connecticut.
Politically, Mr. Springer is a staunch
Republican, and has long taken a fore-
most part in local affairs, as appears in
his active association with tariff interests.
He is a member of the Republican Town
Committee of Greenwich, and also serves
as chairman of the Greenwich School
Committee. He is a director of the Bruce
Museum of Greenwich. During the war
he belonged to the Greenwich Council of
Defense, and took a leading part in Lib-
erty Loan drives and other activities of
that stirring time. The fraternal asso-
ciations of Mr. Springer include affilia-
tions with the Masonic order, first in
connection with Preble Lodge, Free and
Accepted Masons, of Sanford, and later
with Acacia Lodge, No. 85, Free and Ac-
cepted Masons, of Greenwich. He also
affiliates with the Ancient Order of United
Workmen, of Stamford. He holds the of-
fice of elder in the Presbyterian church
of Stamford.
Mr. Springer married (first) Carrie E.
Bennett, who died in 1897. She was the
mother of Beatrice Springer, a trained
nurse, of Hartford, Connecticut ; and Nel-
son Frederick Springer, who is associated
with his father in business. Mr. Springer
married (second) Caroline E. Finney, in
1898, daughter of Lorenzo and Caroline
C. (Jessup) Finney, of North Mianus, and
they have one daughter, Carolyn Finney
Springer.
The position of Mr. Springer, both as
manufacturer and citizen, has been for
years that of an acknowledged leader.
The testimony of the business world, as
well as that of the friends and neighbors
of his home community, would show that
his leadership has always been a force in
the promotion of true progress and en-
during prosperity.
GETMAN, Frederick H.,
Noted Scientist and Author.
Frederick H. Getman, a prominent and
highly esteemed citizen of Stamford, Con-
necticut, an authority on the Solvay the-
ory of solution, which he was one of the
first to develop, and a chemist and a
scientist of international standing, is a
member of an old New York State family
that has resided in the neighborhood of
Stone Arabia, Montgomery county, for
many generations. He is descended from
John Frederick Getman, who founded the
family in that region, and from whom the
line of descent runs through his son
George Getman, who married Delia Shoe-
maker; George (2) Getman, who married
Elizabeth House, a daughter of Peter
House, who was killed in the battle of
Stone Arabia in 1770; George (3) Get-
man, who married Elizabeth Empie ;
Charles Getman, who married Chloe Hut-
ton ; to Charles Henry Getman, father of
the Mr. Getman of this sketch.
Charles Henry Getman was born June
1, 1840, at Troy, New York, and came,
in the year 1888, to Connecticut, where he
made his home in the city of Stamford.
He will long be remembered in that place
212
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
as an active business man, and as a citizen
who held the highest ideals of life and had
courage to carry them into the daily rou-
tine of his business. Charles Henry Get-
man received his early education in the
public schools of Troy, New York, and
later attended the academies at Lenox,
Massachusetts, and Warrenville, New
York. He then held a position as clerk
for three years in the lumber office of
Piatt, Getman and Harris, of Troy, of
which firm his father was a member. He
took a keen interest in this line of busi-
ness and devoted himself to it with so
much zeal and industry, that he was
shortly admitted to the firm as a junior
partner, and remained thus associated
for a number of years. In 1859 he became
a member of the firm of J. W. Freeman,
of West Troy, engaged in the same busi-
ness, and there remained until 1874. In
that year he acquired an interest in the
wholesale lumber business of Boyd &
Company, of Oswego, New York, the
name of the concern being changed to
Getman, Boyd & Company, Mr. Getman
assuming full control of the business and
maintaining it for some time. In 1888 he
came to Stamford, where he purchased
the interest of Mr. St. John, of the firm
of St. John, Hoyt & Company, his asso-
ciates being Messrs. Hoyt and Judd. The
three gentlemen continued the business
under the name of Hoyt, Getman & Judd
until 1893, when the death of Mr. Hoyt
caused a reorganization of the concern,
the name being changed to Getman &
Judd. In 1897 Mr. Frank Bogardus was
admitted into partnership and the name
was again changed to Getman, Judd &
Company. At about this time Mr. Get-
man's health failed seriously, due to heart
trouble. His death occurred on October
12, 1897, at Oswego, New York, where
he had gone for a short vacation. At the
time of his death, he was a director of the
Stamford Savings Bank, and of both the
Massachusetts and Pennsylvania Mutual
Fire Insurance companies. He was also
a member of the Suburban Club of Stam-
ford, the Republican Club of New York
City, the Connecticut Society of the Sons
of the American Revolution, and the
Stamford Board of Trade, of which he
had been the president for several years.
He was a prominent Free Mason, having
joined that order while residing in Troy,
and was a member of the lodge, chapter,
and council, and the Apollo Comman-
dery, Knights Templar. In politics he
was a staunch Republican and was promi-
nent in the local organization of his party,
representing Stamford in the State Leg-
islature of 1892 and 1893. During his
membership in that body he was respon-
sible for the granting of the first city
charter to Stamford, and served on the
committee of cities and boroughs. He
was president of the Connecticut Lumber
Dealers' Association and labored inde-
fatigably for its welfare. During the Civil
War he was placed in charge of the ord-
nance stores at the Watervliet Arsenal,
and supervised the sending of supplies to
General Grant at Chattanooga, Tennes-
see, after the battle of Lookout Moun-
tain.
Charles Henry Getman married, Janu-
ary 10, 1871, Alice Peake, a daughter of
Aaron Peake of Broadalbin, New York,
and they were the parents of one son,
Frederick Hutton Getman, with whose
career we are here especially concerned.
Frederick H. Getman, only son of
Charles Henry and Alice (Peake) Get-
man, was born February 9, 1877, at Os-
wego, New York, and removed to Stam-
ford, Connecticut, with his parents, in the
spring of 1888. As a lad he attended the
King School at Stamford, from which he
entered the Rensselaer Polytechnic In-
stitute, where he remained for three years.
'13
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
He then matriculated at the University
of Virginia, where he took a general scien-
tific course, specializing in the subject of
chemistry. He graduated from the chem-
ical department of that institution in 1897,
after which he returned to the North and
for five years taught chemistry in the
Stamford High School. In 1901 he en-
tered Johns Hopkins University at Balti-
more, Maryland, where he took a special
course in physical chemistry and where he
received the degree of Ph. D. in 1903. In
1902 and 1903 he held a fellowship at
Johns Hopkins, and during the year fol-
lowing, was appointed Carnegie research
assistant in physical chemistry, and fel-
low by courtesy. In 1904 he was called
by the College of the City of New York
to lecture on physical chemistry, and in
1905 became instructor in physical science
at the Stamford High School. Dr. Get-
man's reputation as a scientist and teacher
had been firmly established by this time,
and he was called by Columbia Univer-
sity in 1906, to take a position as lecturer
in physics. A year later he was chosen
associate professor of chemistry at Bryn
Mawr College, a post he held until 1914.
In that year he resigned from his position
at Bryn Mawr, and gave up teaching in
order to devote himself to scientific re-
search in his private laboratory at Stam-
ford. He has continued thus occupied
up to the present and is now engaged in
research on various problems in physical
chemistry. The theory of solution has
claimed his attention for nearly twenty
years, and he may claim the distinction
of being one of the pioneers in the de-
velopment of the Solvay theory. Dr. Get-
man's thesis for his degree of Ph.' D.
dealt with the study of the freezing-points
of solutions.
He has written extensively on his
chosen subjects, his works including nu-
merous articles on the theory of solution,
which have appeared in the "American
Chemical Journal" and the "Journal of the
American Chemical Society," and he has
also published a number of books, notably
those entitled "Blow-pipe Analysis,"
"Laboratory Exercises in Physical Chem-
istry" and "Outlines of Theoretical Chem-
istry." The laboratory of Dr. Getman,
already referred to, was built by him near
his residence at Stamford, and is fully
equipped with the most modern and ap-
proved apparatus for experimental work
of the most delicate nature. As one who
is carrying on the most advanced research
in his line, it is often necessary for Dr.
Getman to design and construct new de-
vices and apparatus for himself and in
this he has displayed an unusual degree
of inventive genius. He has never lost
his interest in educational matters, al-
though he has himself withdrawn from
active work in that line, and he is at pres-
ent a director of the King School of
Stamford, in which he himself was a stu-
dent as a lad. He was a Phi Beta Kappa
man at his university, and is a member
of the American Chemical Society, the
American Electro-Chemical Society, the
Franklin Institute, the Chemists' Club of
New York, and the Societe de Chimie
Physique of Paris. He is also a fellow of
the American Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science, and of the London
Chemical Society. Dr. Getman, in spite
of his preoccupation with science, has
always given considerable attention to his
large business interests and is connected
with several of the companies with which
his father was associated before his death.
He is vice-president of the Getman &Judd
Company, one of the largest firms dealing
in timber and lumber in Connecticut, and
is a director of the St. John Woodwork-
ing Company. Dr. Getman and his wife
are members of the Stamford Presby-
terian Church, he being an active worker
214
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
in the congregation, and chairman of its
board of trustees.
Frederick H. Getman was united in
marriage, November 26, 1906, with Ellen
M. Holbrook, a daughter of Eliphalet and
Harriet (Rice) Holbrook, old and highly
respected residents of Plymouth, Massa-
chusetts.
SCOFIELD, Samuel Ferris,
Honored Citizen.
There is no name more honored in the
history of Stamford, Connecticut, than
Scofield. It was first brought to Fairfield
county by the immigrant ancestor of the
family, Daniel Scofield, and the members
of each generation since that time have
added to its honor. They have been men
who were held high in the regard of their
fellow-citizens, and were identified with
the upbuilding of their communities. A
worthy scion of this distinguished family
was the late Samuel Ferris Scofield, of
Stamford, one of the useful and upright
citizens of his day.
Many surnames were derived from the
localities where the individuals resided
who adopted them : Slocum, from Sloe
Combe, the wild plum pasture ; and
Welles, which was taken from the springs
of water near a home. Scolefield, the
original form of Scofield, literally signi-
fied a field containing small houses or
cottages, similar to those which would be
found on the estate of the early titled
English families. Through the centuries
this changed in form and spelling to the
present day usage, Scofield.
The progenitor of the family was Dan-
iel Scofield, born in the parish of Roch-
dale, Lancashire, England. He was a
grandson of Sir Cuthbert Scofield, of Sco-
field Manor, the family being of ancient
and honorable lineage. In the reign of
Queen Elizabeth, arms were granted to
Sir Cuthbert Scofield as a younger son
of the Scofields of Kent, and who was
knighted for services A. D. 1588 in the
Spanish Armada.
Arms: Granted 1582.
Arms — Gules, a chevron between three bull's
heads, couped (another cabossed) argent.
Crest— A bull's head gules, collared argent.
Another Crest — A bull's head or.
There are indications from which a
pretty accurate line of descent could be
traced one hundred years farther than Sir
Cuthbert Scofield. The name has simply
been Scofield in the records for more than
three hundred years. Schofield, Scovil
and Scoville are variations.
(I) Daniel Scofield, immigrant ances-
tor, came to America in 1639, in the ship
"Susan and Ellen," and after residing for
a time in Ipswich, Massachusetts, he lo-
cated in Stamford, Connecticut, where his
death occurred in 1671. On December 7,
1641, he received two acres consisting of
a home lot, and three acres of woodland,
as the first company. He was a man of
prominence in the Colony, and served as
marshal of Stamford in 1658. He mar-
ried Mary Youngs, daughter of Rev. John
Youngs, and she married (second) Miles
Merwin.
(II) John Scofield, son of Daniel and
Mary (Youngs) Scofield, was born in
1650, and died March 27, 1699. He mar-
ried in Stamford, July 12, 1677, Hannah
Mead.
(III) Nathaniel Scofield, son of John
and Hannah (Mead) Scofield, was born
December 10, 1688, and died 1768. He
married, June 13, 1713-14, Elizabeth
Pettet.
(IV). John (2) Scofield, son of Nathan-
iel and Elizabeth (Pettet) Scofield, was
born October 4, 1716. He is said to have
been a teamster in the Revolutionary
War. He married, in 1743, Hannah Mills.
215
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
(V) John (3) Scofield, son of John
(2) and Hannah (Mills) Scofield, was
born September 4, 1746. He married
(first) February 18, 1768, Susannah
Weed, and there were no children by this
marriage. On January 14, 1773, he mar-
ried (second) Elizabeth Nicholas, a
Scotch woman. She was a fearless horse-
woman, and during the Revolution was
riding near Norwalk one day when she
was overtaken by some British officers
who boasted that they had burned Nor-
walk and would soon burn Stamford.
Mrs. Scofield quickly grasping the situa-
tion thought of a short cut back to Stam-
ford, and with confidence in the speed of
her horse she rode back through the
woods and warned the men of Stamford of
the coming of British, and thereby saved
the town. John Scofield and his brave
wife are buried in the family lot two miles
north of the city of Stamford. They were
the parents of seven children.
(VI) Silas Scofield, third child and
second son of John (3) and Elizabeth
(Nicholas) Scofield, was born April 2,
1776, and died in 1853. He married, Feb-
ruary 13, 1803, Rebecca Holmes. The
name of Holmes originated in England
about A. D. 970, when King Etheldred
conferred upon his grandson the title,
"Earl of Holmes." The first of this il-
lustrious family to come to America were
Robert Holmes, who settled in Cam-
bridge, Massachusetts, and John, Oba-
diah, George and William Holmes, who
came to Massachusetts three years later.
After three years there, John Holmes set-
tled in New Bedford. Silas and Rebecca
(Holmes) Scofield were the parents of
three sons : Silas, Benjamin and Alfred.
When Benjamin and Alfred reached their
majority, Silas Scofield bought the land
which was then called Westcotts, where
Mrs. Scofield now lives, which had been
reserved by the Indians for their planting
ground at the time the colonists bought
the site of the present town of Stamford.
Silas Scofield gave these sons that point
of land as a wedding present and the farm
has been in the family ever since. He
also owned the land and built the stone
house on Elm street at the head of which
is now Shippan avenue.
(VII) Benjamin Scofield, son of Silas
and Rebecca (Holmes) Scofield, was born
at Shippan, Stamford, Connecticut, March
2, 1804. He was sergeant of the Train
Band, and was a farmer throughout the
active years of his life. His death oc-
curred January 5, 1884. Benjamin Sco-
field married Susan Ferris, daughter of
Samuel Ferris.
(VIII) Samuel Ferris Scofield, son of
Benjamin and Susan (Ferris) Scofield,
was born in the place now occupied by
his family, November 11, 1839. He grew
to manhood there, and with his brother,
Charles A. Scofield, who still survives, he
succeeded to the ownership of the home
farm, where they engaged in general
farming. Samuel Ferris Scofield was very
much of a home man ; his interests were
centered in his family and the care of the
homestead. However, he was a good
citizen, a man of high principles, and was
always willing and anxious to do his share
for the welfare of the public.
Mr. Scofield married, September 28,
1871, Frances Elizabeth Hoyt, daughter
of Ira Ford Hoyt, of South Norwalk, Con-
necticut. The Hoyt genealogy will be
found elsewhere in connection with the
sketch of Mrs. Scofield's brother, Dudley
E. Hoyt. Mrs. Scofield is a member of
the Christian Science church, in which she
has advanced to the office of reader. She
is also a Christian Science practitioner.
Mr. and Mrs. Scofield were the parents of
four daughters : Mary Wixon, Susan Em-
ily ; Ada Irene, married Clarence E. Bor-
gardus, a sketch of whom appears else-
16
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
where in this work; Frances S., married
Harry C. Quintard, and they have one
child, Virginia. Mr. Scofield died at the
family homestead.
Like leaves on trees,
The race of man is found.
Now green in youth,
Now withering on the ground.
Another race the following spring supplies,
They fall successive, and successive rise.
So generations in their course decay,
So flourish these when those have passed away.
SCOFIELD, Harry Clinton,
Lawyer, Public-spirited Citizen.
Eminent in his own right as one of the
leading lawyers of Stamford, Connecti-
cut, Harry C. Scofield is also a descend-
ant of one of the oldest and most promi-
nent families of Fairfield county. Mem-
bers of the Scofield family have been fore-
most in thought and action in their com-
munities, and have marked their passing
years with worthy achievements. Since
1641, in which year Daniel Scofield (q. v.),
the immigrant ancestor of the family set-
tled in Fairfield county, there have been
men of this name in responsible and hon-
ored positions.
Alpheus Scofield, great-great-grand-
father of Harry Clinton Scofield, was a
settler of Newfield. His name appears on
the land records as a grantee as early as
1793, and frequently in land transactions
after that date. His will was proved Feb-
ruary 6, 1844, and in it he mentions his
wife Elizabeth. The Stamford vital rec-
ords state that "Mrs. Alpheus Scofield
died July 18, 1852, aged seventy-five
years."
Hezekiah Scofield, great-grandfather
of our subject, and the father of Luther
S. Scofield, died March 27, 1879, aged
sixty-one years, one month and twenty-
five days. Luther S. Scofield served as
selectman, and was a dealer in live stock
in partnership with his son, Sylvester L.
He married Caroline Crissey, daughter of
Abram Crissey, of Darien, and grand-
daughter of Abram Crissey, the first
school teacher of that town.
Sylvester Luther Scofield, son of Luther
S. Scofield, was born in Stamford, in
1845, and was educated in the public
schools there and at the Glendenning
Academy, a well known school of that
period. He was accustomed to assist
his father in the cattle business from
his boyhood, and after attaining his ma-
jority he entered the work with his fa-
ther. They purchased cattle and slaugh-
tered them and did business on such a
large scale at one time that they helped
to fix the prices of meat in New York
City, which city drew largely on Western
Connecticut for its meat supply. About
1894 Mr. Scofield retired from his active
business cares to enjoy a well-deserved
rest. He was a Republican in politics,
and held the offices of justice of the peace
and grand juror. He enlisted in Com-
pany A, Twenty-eighth Regiment, Con-
necticut Volunteer Infantry, for nine
months, but served two years. After the
war he organized the Regimental Asso-
ciation, of which he was president for
many years, and then its secretary until
the time of his death. He compiled the
records of his regiment, now deposited at
Hartford. Mr. Scofield was an active
member of William T. Miner Post, Grand
Army of the Republic, of which he was
past commander. He also held office in
the State organization of the Grand Army
of the Republic.
Sylvester Luther Scofield married Har-
riet L. Scofield, daughter of Nathaniel
and Polly A. (Ferris) Scofield. Nathan-
iel Scofield was a son of Phineas Scofield,
who married (first) Mercy Finch, whose
217
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
mother was Rachel Bishop, great-grand-
daughter of Rev. John Bishop, the first
minister of Stamford. Rev. John Bishop
walked from Boston to Stamford with his
staff and Bible. He married Susanna
Pierson, daughter of Rev. Abraham Pier-
son, one of the founders and the first
president of Yale College. Nathaniel
Scofield married Polly A. Ferris, daughter
of Asa Ferris, of Sound Beach. Their
daughter, Harriet L. Scofield, became the
wife of Sylvester Luther Scofield, as
above mentioned. The children of Syl-
vester L. and Harriet L. (Scofield) Sco-
field were: Carrie L., and Harry Clinton,
of whom further.
Harry Clinton Scofield, only son of
Sylvester Luther and Harriet L. (Sco-
field) Scofield, was born May 7, 1875. He
attended the public schools and graduated
from the Stamford High School. Subse-
quently he went to New York City and
for thirteen years he was in the employ of
a marine insurance company. In his
evenings and spare time from his business
he attended the Dwight School of New
York and then pursued a course in the
New York Law School, graduating in
1907. During the time he was attending
the lav/ school he was a law student in
the office of Judge James E. Bennett, and
was admitted to the New York bar in
1907, and five years later to the Connec-
ticut bar. For three years Mr. Scofield
practiced in New York and then removed
to his native city, where he has since been
located. Mr. Scofield is one of the lead-
ing men of affairs of Stamford. He takes
an active interest in all public and social
matters, and his counsel is often sought
on many public questions. Mr. Scofield
was a delegate to the first convention of
the Progressive party in Chicago, and he
formulated the Connecticut platform of
2
that party in collaboration with Herbert
Knox Smith, and Dr. Flavel S. Luther.
For two years he served as deputy judge
of the City Court of Stamford, and is now
secretary of the school board.
Mr. Scofield is also a director of sev-
eral business and financial corporations ;
he is a director of the Young Men's
Christian Association, and of the Visiting
Nurses' Association. His activities in
fraternal organizations are many. While
a student at law school, he was a mem-
ber of the class committee and president
of his class ; was a member of the Owls
Head Club, and of Nylsens Club, which
he served as president. He is a past
master of Union Lodge, No. 5, Free and
Accepted Masons ; and is district deputy
grand master of the First Masonic Dis-
trict of Connecticut; member of Ritten-
house Chapter, Royal Arch Masons ;
Washington Council, Royal and Select
Masters; Clinton Commandery, Knights
Templar; and Lafayette Consistory, of
Bridgeport, of which he is junior warden.
He also holds membership in Puritan
Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows. Other societies of which Mr. Sco-
field is a member are : The Stamford His-
torical Society ; the Sons of the American
Revolution ; and the Sons of Veterans.
Mr. Scofield married Florence Weed
Scofield, daughter of George A. Scofield,
and they were the parents of a son, Laur-
ence Pierson Scofield, named for the an-
cestor of the family, Abraham Pierson,
above mentioned. Laurence P. Scofield
was born October 28, 1900. Mrs. Flor-
ence Weed Scofield died in that year.
Mr. Scofield is a member of the Congre-
gational church of Stamford, and is ac-
tive in its good works. He has served as
deacon and superintendent of its Sunday
school.
18
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
LOWE, Russell Walter,
Physician, World War Veteran.
Dr. Lowe's family is of ancient Eng-
lish origin, resident in Derbyshire, where
its members bore arms as follows :
Arms— Gules, a hart trippant argent.
Crest — A wolf passant argent.
(I) Its American history begins with the
coming of Thomas Lowe from his Eng-
lish home to the United States about 1847,
when he settled in Stockbridge, New
York. He married, in England, Martha
Ann Thaxter, and they were the parents
of: James, born 1838; John; Walter
Robert, of whom further; William, Lep-
timus, Charles, Sarah.
(II) Walter Robert Lowe, son of
Thomas and Martha A. (Thaxter) Lowe,
was born in Buxton, England, in 1841. He
was an architect and builder, acquiring an
enviable reputation and patronage in that
line, especially in Madison county, New
York, where he was a successful business
man. For thirty-two years he was in
partnership with Chauncey Quackenbush
in Oneida, under the firm name of Quack-
enbush & Lowe, retiring in 1916 to private
life and taking up his residence in Ridge-
field, Connecticut. He held many positions
of trust, served for years as collector and
assessor of his town, also as alderman.
Public-spirited and enterprising, he did
all in his power to advance the welfare
of the community. In politics he was a
Republican. He married, August 9, 1866,
Abbie De Etta Ranney, daughter of
Oliver Russell and Elizabeth Franklin
(Carpenter) Ranney (see Ranney VII).
Children: 1. Russell Walter, of whom
further. 2. Agnes Elizabeth, born May
7, 1872 ; married Henry B. Doxstader, and
resides in Oneida, New York. They have
three children, Helen Agnes, Hattie
Louise, and Delila Abbie.
(Ill) Russell Walter Lowe, son of
Walter Robert and Abbie De Etta (Ran-
ney) Lowe, was born in Oneida, Madi-
son county, New York, March 19, 1868.
After attending the Oneida schools, he
entered the medical department of New
York University, and was graduated
M. D. in 1889. For one year he served in
the Bridgeport Hospital as house sur-
geon, and subsequently practiced in
Georgetown, Connecticut, for three and
one-half years. About 1894 he made
Ridgefield his home and his place of prac-
tice, and has there continued to the pres-
ent time. Dr. Lowe has an extensive
practice in New York, and his local work
covers approximately a seven mile radius
from Ridgefield. His office is splendidly
appointed, and his clientele is among the
representative families of the district.
He is a member of the New York Acad-
emy of Meuicine, the Medical and Sur-
gical Association of New York, and local
professional bodies.
Dr. Lowe has taken a public-spirited
interest in affairs of public concern, and
for about eighteen years was active in
local matters. He was chairman of the
sixth school district for two years, as-
sisted in the organization of the borough
of Ridgefield, and led in the movement
that resulted in the installation of the
sewerage system of the town. His political
convictions are Republican, but he has
taken little part in party affairs. He is
a past master of Ark Lodge, No. 39, Free
and Accepted Masons, of Wilton, having
been honored with that office when
twenty-three years of age, one of the
youngest men in the State to be made
master of a lodge. Dr. Lowe also affil-
iates with Chapter, Royal Arch
Masons, Danbury Commandery, Knights
Templar, and Pyramid Temple, Ancient
Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine,
219
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
of Bridgeport. Dr. Lowe entered the
medical department of the United States
army during the World War and was in
service for eighteen months. He was
assigned to various hospitals, including
those at Camp Oglethorpe and Camp
Gordon, and was honorably discharged
with the rank of captain.
Dr. Lowe married, in 1891, Maria
Louisa Beers, born in Branchville, Fair-
field county, Connecticut, daughter of
William W. and Louisa (Gilbert) Beers
(see Beers V). They are the parents of
one son, Gilbert, born July 10, 1893, who
was educated in St. Paul's School in Con-
cord, New Hampshire, and Columbia
University. He had served three years
in the medical corps of the United States
navy, and had been honorably discharged
before the United States entered the
World War. Re-enlisting, he was de-
tailed for duty at the Naval Hospital in
Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He mar-
ried Jeannette Merrill, of Cleveland, Ohio,
and they have one child, Jane, born May
26, 1918.
(The Ranney Line).
Volume II "Scottish Arms" names the
Rany and Renny families. Herbert Ray-
ning sat in Parliament for Dumfries,
1572. Robert Rayning was provost, 1578.
Symon Renny was bailie of Inverkeithing,
1360. Sir John Rany, of England, is
named in 1660. The name is given in va-
rious forms in France and Flanders at a
very early date. Arms have been borne
as follows :
Arms — Gules, two wings in pale argent, each
charged with three bars gemels sable.
(I) Thomas Rany, born about 1616,
first American ancestor, was in Middle-
town, Connecticut, in 1658. Gravestone
records say he died June 21, 1713. His
will and an inventory of his estate are on
file in Hartford. He married, in May,
1659, Mary Hubbard, born January 16,
1641, died December 18, 1721, daughter
of George and Elizabeth (Watts) Hub-
bard. Children: Thomas, born 1660;
John, of whom further ; Joseph, born
1663; Mary, born 1665, married John
Savage ; Elizabeth, born 1668, married
Jonathan Warner; Esther, born 1673,
married Nathaniel Savage ; Hannah, born
1675, died 1713; Margaret, born 1678-79,
married Stephan Clark ; Ebenezer, born
about 1681 ; Mercy, born 1682 ; Abigail,
married, 1713-14, Walter Harris.
(II) John Ranney, son of Thomas and
Mary (Hubbard) Rany, was born Novem-
ber 14, 1662. He married, December 28,
1693, Hannah Turner, born March 4,
1678-79, daughter of Edward and Mary
(Sanford) Turner. They lived in Mid-
dletown, Connecticut, and were original
members of the North Society Church in
1714-15. Children: Marce, born 1695,
married John Hall; Hannah, born 1699;
John, born 1700, died same year; John,
born 1703; Richard, of whom further;
Deborah, born 1708; Jeremiah, born 1713;
Samuel, born 1715, married Ann Miller.
(III) Richard Ranney, son of John and
Hannah (Turner) Ranney, was born Feb-
ruary 18, 1705, and died September 16,
1759. A Richard Ranney served, April
19-September 3, 1758, in the Seventh
Company, First Regiment. He married,
November 7, 1729, in East Middletown,
Connecticut, Margery Miller, born Feb-
ruary 23, 1706, daughter of John and
Marcy (Bevins) Miller. Children: Jere-
miah, born 1730; Richard, born 1732;
Elijah, of whom further ; Stephen, born
1737 ; Marcy, born 1739 ; Mary, born 1740;
Jabez, born 1742-43, married Penelope
Bowers ; Edward, born 1746, served in the
French and Indian War; Abner, born
1747; Hannah, born 1750, married Joel
Hale; Mary, born 1754.
220
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
(IV) Elijah Ranney, son of Richard
and Margery (Miller) Ranney, was born
October 6, 1735, in Middletown, Connec-
ticut, died 1789, and his estate was dis-
tributed, October 7, 1789. In 1756 he
purchased land in Granville, and in 1773
removed to Blanford, Massachusetts. He
married, March 2, 1763, in Granville,
Massachusetts, Mary Cook, born 1744,
died April 1, 1832. Children: Mary, born
1763, married Jonathan Norton; Sybil,
born 1765, married a Mr. Crane ; Jere-
miah, born May 5, 1769; Elijah, removed
to Watervliet, New York ; Ebenezer, of
whom further; Rufus, born 1780; Rox-
ana, married John Loyd ; Eunice, married
Darius Stephens.
(V) Ebenezer Ranney, son of Elijah
and Mary (Cook) Ranney, was born May
25, 1776, and died April 12, i860. In
1797 he removed to Waterville, New
York, and from there to Augusta, New
York. In 1832 he removed to Valley
Mills, where he erected a saw mill and a
woolen mill. He was a Baptist, organ-
ized a society in Augusta, New York, and
at his own expense rebuilt the mission
church in Valley Mills, and preached in
it many years. He is said to have served
at Sacketts Harbor in the War of 1812.
He married, February 23, 1800, Almeda
Bartholomew, born July 26, 1781, in
Goshen, Connecticut, died June 19, 1868,
daughter of Oliver and Ann (Lacy) Bar-
tholomew. Children: Ores, born 1801 ;
Dorcas, born 1803, married Zacharias
Lewis ; Hiram, born 1805 ; Ebenezer, born
1809, married Betsey Calkins; Anson L.,
born 181 1, • Oliver Russell, of whom fur-
ther; Almeda Pamelia, born 1820, mar-
ried William W. Bingham.
(VI) Oliver Russell Ranney, son of
Ebenezer and Almeda (Bartholomew)
Ranney, was born in Augusta, New York,
in January, 1816, and died June 24, 1897.
He was engaged in the jewelry business,
and was a member of the Baptist church.
He married, in Stockbridge, New York,
November 22, 1835, Elizabeth Franklin
Carpenter, born May 5, 1814, died Decem-
ber 13, 1877, daughter of Ezekiel and
Dorcas (Gardner) Carpenter, of Rhode
Island. Children : Agnes Elizabeth, born
1839, died 1854; Elvira Ann, born 1842,
died 1849; Abbie De Etta, of whom fur-
ther; Mary Josephine, born 1850, died
1862.
(VII) Abbie De Etta Ranney, daughter
of Oliver Russell and Elizabeth Frank-
lin (Carpenter) Ranney, born February
5, 1847, 'n Stockbridge, New York, mar-
ried, August 9, 1866, in Oneida, New
York, Walter Robert Lowe (see Lowe
II).
(The Beers Line).
England is the fatherland of the Beers
family. Genealogical records trace its
ancestry to the feudal age under the name
Beare, which was afterwards written
Bears. Coat-of-arms :
Arms — Argent, a bear rampant, sable, canton
gules.
Crest — On a garb lying fesseways or, a raven
sable.
Motto — Bear and forbear.
(I) John Beers, founder of the family
in America, was in Stratford, Connecti-
cut, in 1678. He came to America with
his wife Mary. His sons were: Barna-
bas, married Elizabeth Wilcoxson, in
1688; Samuel, married, 1706, Sarah Sher-
man; Josiah, married, 1717, Elizabeth Uf-
ford ; Joseph, of whom further ; Abiel,
married, 1722, Elizabeth Cammel.
(II) Joseph Beers, son of John and
Mary Beers, married, in 1720, Sarah
Clark. Children: Ephraim, born 1722;
Mary, born 1723 ; Joseph and John
(twins), born 1727; Andrew, born 1729;
221
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Abel, born 1732; Sarah, born 1734; Mat-
thew, of whom further.
(III) Matthew Beers, son of Joseph
and Sarah (Clark) Beers, was born De-
cember 19, 1736. He married Sarah Cur-
tis, of Stratford. Children : Curtis, Silas,
Menzis, Otis, Lewis, of whom further;
Lucinda.
(IV) Lewis Beers, son of Matthew and
Sarah (Curtis) Beers, married Rhoda
Gregory, daughter of Samuel and Rhoda
Gregory. Among their children was Wil-
liam W., of whom further.
(V) William W. Beers, son of Lewis
and Rhoda (Gregory) Beers, was born
in Ridgefield, Connecticut, September
II, 1821, and died August 20, 1879, in
Branchville, Connecticut. He enjoyed
the best educational advantages the coun-
try afforded, and at the age of seventeen
years began teaching in Ridgefield. In
185 1 he started his career as merchant
in Branchville, where he continued to re-
side until his death. He began in a small
way, at first selling lumber, later coal,
and then all kinds of hardware and crock-
ery. He was the first postmaster in
Branchville, and first station agent there
on the Norwalk & Danbury Railroad.
His death cast a gloom over the commu-
nity of which he was a shining member.
Strictly upright in all his dealings, rigidly
honorable, he was at the same time
kindly, benevolent and always ready to
help the poor and needy. In matters re-
lating to church he was not active, but
contributed liberally of his means. He
married (first), Paulina M. Edmonds;
(second), Louisa Gilbert, daughter of
Benjamin and Charlotte (Birchard) Gil-
bert. Children by first wife : Carrie G.,
married Lewis L. Valden ; Mary E., mar-
ried Ebenezer Hoyt ; children by second
wife : Louis G. ; Maria Louisa, who mar-
ried Dr. Russell Walter Lowe (see Lowe
III).
WARDWELL, Frederick Schuyler,
Man of Varied Activities.
Two decades constitute the period that
Frederick Schuyler Wardwell passed in
the Stamford community, during which
he performed most of the work upon
which his professional reputation rests
and formed the ties that made his death a
universal loss. The engineering works
that he accomplished during that time
will remain as monuments to him for
many years, while in the friendships he
formed, the impression of his purposeful,
productive life upon his associates, his
memory will endure far beyond his time.
There is placed this record of his career
among those of the people who knew him
best, as a tribute and memorial to an
adopted son of Connecticut whose activi-
ties reflect great credit upon the common-
wealth.
Frederick S. Wardwell was a son of
Emery Schuyler Wardwell, whose father
was a native of Penobscot, Maine, where
he followed the calling of farmer, at one
time owning a tract of land one mile
square. Emery Schuyler Wardwell was
born about 1841, in Penobscot, and served
an apprenticeship to the carpenter's trade.
During the Civil War he enlisted as lieu-
tenant in Company K, First Regiment,
Maine Heavy Artillery, and was subse-
quently transferred to the Eighteenth
Regiment, Volunteer Infantry. He served
with his regiment until it took up a posi-
tion before Petersburg, when he was
prostrated by typhoid pneumonia, which
disabled him for a period of fourteen
months. At the end of that time he be-
came an instructor in schools, for a time
serving as superintendent. He was a well
educated man for his day, his wife's edu-
cation being even superior to his. For
some time he was trial justice in Penob-
scot. Just before the Civil War, Mr.
222
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Wardwell moved to Bucksport, where he
purchased a large farm, known as the
"Stover place," and engaged in dairying.
His health, however, was not equal to the
demands of agricultural pursuits and he
returned to Bangor, where he spent his
few remaining years. He belonged to the
Grand Army of the Republic in Bucks-
port.
Mr. Wardwell married Roxanna Hatch,
daughter of Elisha Hatch, of North Pe-
nobscot. Mr. liatch, who was a farmer,
was a native of Castine, Maine, where his
father had taken up land. One branch of
the family had long been resident. there,
old records showing that Frederick Hatch
was one of the early settlers of the town.
Of the seven children born to Mr. and
Mrs. Wardwell, the following reached
maturity : Frederick Schuyler, of whom
further; Melville H., of Cleveland, Ohio;
Victor P., of Stamford, Connecticut ;
Frances, of Portland, Maine ; Parris E.,
of Asbury Park, New Jersey; and Geor-
gia. At the time of his death, Mr. Ward-
well was about fifty-four years of age.
Frederick Schuyler Wardwell, son of
Emery Schuyler and Roxanna (Hatch)
Wardwell, was born January 10, 1863,
in Bucksport, Maine. He received his
education in the public schools of his na-
tive town and at the East Maine Confer-
ence Seminary. After a time spent in
filling clerkships he went, in 1882, to
Minnesota, where he attended lectures at
the State University in St. Paul. In those
days Minnesota was a frontier State, In-
dians and game being plentiful, and when
Mr. Wardwell joined the engineering
corps of the Northern Pacific Railroad he
slept out-of-doors throughout an entire
winter. He was employed by the railroad
company about two years, and then en-
tered the service of the Twin Cities Rapid
Transit Company, that company being
among the pioneers in the electric railwav
business. He was sent by this company
to represent them at Duluth and there
built the famous incline which is still in
operation. He also constructed the street
railway of Duluth, and rebuilt it when the
change was made to electric power, a
piece of work which occupied him about
four years. He then returned to the East
for the purpose of building the Edge-
wood Avenue Railroad of New Haven,
afterward constructing the Danbury and
Bethel Street Railway System. Next
came the Torresdale and Bristol Street
Railway, near Philadelphia, and the erec-
tion of a foundry and machine shop for
the Norwalk Iron Works completing the
list of his work of this period.
He came to Stamford, Connecticut,
about 1900 to undertake the work of
widening the east branch of the harbor
and to construct docks. Here he made
the headquarters for a business that
steadily increased, and to which he gave
the technical skill, energy and enthusiasm
for which he became noted. He con-
cluded to make a specialty of water-front
construction, and gradually acquired an
equipment that enabled him to perform
work for which comparatively few were
prepared to contract. One of his accom-
plishments, which attracted wide atten-
tion, was the laying of a pipe in Newport
harbor at a depth of about ninety feet to
carry water from the mainland to Dutch
Island, a military post, about a mile and a
half from the shore. This work was done
in mid-winter. He constructed an outfall
sewer with forty-two inch pipe at Coney
Island. His work in Stamford included
the construction of docks for the Stoll-
werck Company, a bulkhead for the
Petroleum Heat and Power Company,
docks for the Yale & Towne Manufactur-
ing Company, the Getman & Jugg Com-
pany, the Masons' Supply Company, and
the Luders Marine Construction Com-
223
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
pany. A difficult commission performed
by him shortly prior to his death was
the cleaning of a flume used by the rail-
way power plant at Coscob, this being ac-
complished without interruption of the
flow of water pipes to condensers. He
was engaged in numerous contracts for
dredging and construction along the
Sound, these including the building of
foundations for various bridges.
Shortly after coming to Stamford, Mr.
Wardwell began assembling a fleet of
vessels to be employed in his work.
Starting in a modest way, and making
use of crude contrivances, he gradually
extended this equipment, which now
comprises the dredge "Urban," derrick-
boat "Orland," pile-drivers "Castine" and
"Interurban," towboat "Addie V.," two
large and two small scows and a motor-
boat. He employed a considerable force
of men, with whom his relations as an
employer were always agreeable. His
determination to make his home in Stam-
ford was formed soon after he took his
first contract there. He was attracted to
the city, and took a lively and intelligent
interest in public affairs. As a member of
a committee serving without compensa-
tion he furnished valuable information
and advice regarding sanitation, and
made practical suggestion for the abate-
ment of what has long been described as
the mill-pond nuisance.
He was elected a member of the Com-
mon Council in the Fourth Ward in 1918
and reelected in 1920; he served as chair-
man of the Sanitation Committee, and
performed service of high value to the
city. His investigations disclosed condi-
tions that convinced both the Common
Council and the Board of Finance of the
desirability of appointing a full-time food
inspector, to give proper supervision of
the slaughter of cattle and of meat sold
for food purposes, as well as to see to
the strict enforcement of ordinances re-
lating to milk. In his work for the city
he displayed the same desire to secure
accurate information, and to carry for-
ward desirable public improvements, as
was exhibited in his own business, and his
death was felt by his associates as a seri-
ous loss to the municipality. Mr. Ward-
well was retained at various times by
corporations to make investigations of
public service plants throughout the coun-
try, and his reports were relied upon for
accuracy, expertness and penetrating in-
sight into fundamental facts.
Mr. Wardwell was a member of the
American Society of Civil Engineers, and
the Connecticut and Fairfield County
Engineers associations. His clubs were
the Kiwanis and the Congregational
Men's, and he fraternized with the Ma-
sonic order, having joined Ionic Lodge,
No. 17, Free and Accepted Masons, of
Duluth, Minnesota, and holding the sev-
enteenth degree. He also was a member
of the Royal Arcanum and the National
Grange. His descent in the line of eldest
son of General Bank entitled him to mem-
bership in the Society of the Cincinnati,
a much coveted honor.
Frederick Schuyler Wardwell married,
June 5, 1886, Linda Belle Free, daughter
of John W. and Hannah Ann (Wait)
Free, of Richmond, Indiana, and they
were the parents of one son, Virgil Em-
ery, born September 20, 1892, and edu-
cated in Stamford public schools and at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technol-
ogy, formerly associated with his father in
business ; he married Gladys Darling,
daughter of David Darling, of Rye, New
York, and they have three children, Fred-
erick Schuyler (2), Katherine, and Virgil
Emery, Jr.
Frederick Schuyler Wardwell died Jan-
uary 16, 192 1. From the great number of
written and spoken tributes to Stamford's
224
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
well-loved citizen two are here given
place, one from the men who daily fol-
lowed his leadership, the other quoted
from the funeral address by Rev. Alfred
Grant Walton :
To create, to build, to perfect, constitute the
consecration of a life in Christian effort.
We, the employees of F. S. Wardwell, who in
the past few hours have felt the loss of this
respected leader, feel that his life has been de-
voted to these principles.
The memories of him that will endure vary
according as he was known. Those who knew
him in the intimacy of his own home, others who
knew him in his social community life, and still
others associated with him in the service of civic
government, will remember him as he lived among
them, but we, who have toiled with him in his
profession for years past, shall remember him as
we knew him best — a counselor, guide and friend.
Our hopes and ambitions he made his, our welfare
he placed before his own. In times of indecision
we sought his counsel ; in times of need, his aid.
At the noonday meal, where he habitually took
his place among us as one of us, there will re-
main in our memory a vacant chair.
To his family, his relatives and friends, who
have felt this sudden loss, we express our sin-
cerest sympathy and that they may feel the depth
of our sympathy, may we reverently add that he,
too, was "one of us."
We have stopped momentarily in the pursuit of
our daily tasks to pay tribute of respect to a good
citizen and friend who has been called to the
realm of the Unseen. At such an hour, there is
no need for encomium or panegyric, for the life
which has been lived for twenty years amongst
us speaks more eloquently than any words which
one might utter.
Mr. Wardwell was a man of simplicity, without
show or ostentation, and these obsequies should
be in harmony with his simple ways. Yet it is
the privilege of all who knew him that some one
should speak for all of the good will felt toward
him, and the honor in which his memory will
be held.
Mr. Wardwell was an utterly sincere and hon-
est man. There was no sham about him, no exter-
nal self that concealed a different inner self; he
was genuine through and through. It is always
refreshing to meet such a person. It deepens our
confidence in humanity; it makes easier a faith
in immortality; it increases our trust in God.
Far more important than following the rubrics
or giving intellectual assent to various formuli of
religious belief is the living of a good, clean,
upright, noble life. We attest our appreciation of
a man who in every personal and business rela-
tion revealed such a life. We might say of him
what Hallock said on the death of Joseph Rod-
man Drake: "None knew him but to love him,
nor named him but to praise."
WARDWELL, Linda Bell (Mrs. F. S.),
Noted Musician, Authoress.
Musical circles throughout the country
have known Mrs. Wardwell for many
years in concert and church work, and es-
pecially in the popularizing of musical
study. She has written extensively on
musical subjects in the outlining of
courses of study as well as a work on
American composers, and all of her vol-
umes have had large sale and wide dis-
tribution. This she has accomplished,
gaining a national reputation in the doing,
while active in civic and social life, and
while presiding over the home of her hus-
band and son, a circumstance receiving
more than passing notice even in an age
when woman's sphere of activity is con-
stantly broadening. Mrs. Wardwell is a
musician of talent, with a gift of impart-
ing her knowledge and ability, both by the
spoken and written word, that amounts
to genius.
Mrs. Wardwell is a daughter of John
W. and Hannah Ann (Wait) Free. John
W. Free was born in Akron, Ohio, about
1830, and died in Providence, Rhode Is-
land, in 1919. He was the inventor of a
threshing machine, and dealt extensively
in many States, including New Hamp-
shire, where he engaged in lengthy litiga-
tion to recover his possessions of the
Dixville Notch, Colbrook. For a time he
was resident of Richmond, Indiana,
moving thence to Chicago, Illinois. He
was twice married, his first wife's death
Conn-8— 15
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
occurring about i860, and their three
children all dying young. He married
(second) in La Porte, Indiana, Hannah
Ann Wait, who died in St. Paul, Minne-
sota, in 1886, and their only child was
Mrs. Wardwell.'
Maternally Mrs. Wardwell is de-
scended from an ancient and distin-
guished English family, that of Wait.
When surnames were generally intro-
duced into England in the eleventh cen-
tury, those who held an office in most
cases added its designation to their Chris-
tian names, thus: Richard, the minstrel-
watchman, who was known as Richard le
(the) Wayte, afterward contracted to
Richard Wayte. The name has since
been spelled Wayte, Wayt, Wayght,
Waight, Wait, Waitt, Wate, Weight,
Waiet, etc. In A. D. 1075, William the
Conqueror gave the earldom, city and
castle of Norwich in England to "Ralf
de Waiet" (son of "Ralf," an Englishman,
by a Welsh woman), who married Emma,
sister to Roger, Earl of Hereford, cousin
of the Conqueror, etc. The records show
that Ricardus le Wayte, of County War-
wick, in 131 5 was Escheator of the coun-
ties of Wilts, Oxford, Berkshire, Bedford,
and Bucks. Like many of the ancient
families of Britain, this one had its coat-
of-arms down to the middle of the sev-
enteenth century.
Arms — Argent, a chevron between three bugle
horns, stringed, sable, garnished or.
Crest — A bugle horn stringed, garnished or.
Motto — Pro oris et focis. (For our homes and
our altars).
When Charles II. ascended the throne
in 1660, those who were instrumental in
putting his father to death were brought
to the scaffold (except John Dixwell, Wil-
liam Goffe and Edward Whalley, who fled
to America), and Thomas Wayte being
one of that number.
English records mention these Waits
of distinction: Thomas Waite, M. P., for
Rutlandshire, one of the judges who sat
upon the trial of and passed sentence
upon the unfortunate Charles I. ; Sir
Nicholas Waite, Knight of Chertsey in
Surrey ; and Sir Thomas Wait. Receiver-
General in the reign of King James I.
The American founders of the family
were Richard, John, and Thomas Wait,
early settlers in New England, and heads
of numerous lines. Mrs. Wardwell is a
granddaughter of Josiah Wait, born in
Alstead, New Hampshire, January 13,
1786, and Martha Ann (Graham) Wait,
born March 2, 1790. Josiah Wait was a
son of Thomas Wait, and was a native of
Alstead, New Hampshire, early in life
moving to Ovid, New York, thence to
York, New York, and subsequently to
Perry, Lake county, Ohio, probably the
birthplace of Hannah Ann Wait. Issue
of Josiah and Martha Ann (Graham)
Wait: 1. Jonathan, born November 22,
1811, died in 1893; spent most of his life
in Sturgis, Michigan ; in 1850 was elected
to the State Legislature, and in i860 to
the State Senate, being reelected and
serving for six years. 2. Ann Lakin, born
February 24, 1814, died August 30, 1839.
3. Arthur Graham, born April 4, 1816,
died October 13, 1817. 4. Alonzo Davis,
born June 8, 1818, died December 17,
1819. 5. Oneon Anson, born March 14,
1821. 6. Harriet Stebbins, born June 17,
1823. 7. William Washington, born Oc-
tober 14, 1825 ; settled in Excelsior, Min-
nesota, on Lake Minnetonka. 8. Hugh
Graham, born November 3, 1828. 9.
Hannah Ann, born July 9, 1832, died in
1886; married John W. Free.
Linda Belle (Free) Wardwell was born
in Richmond, Indiana, July 19, 1865.
After attending the public schools of Chi-
cago, she began her musical education in
the Chicago Musical College, whence she
graduated, and later obtained a teacher's
226
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
certificate from the Petersilea Academy
of Music, o